ECN Forum Forums Code Related Discussion NEC & other Code issues Electrical code & Industrial work

I had a discussion with a Electrical contractor involved in Mainly Industrial work. Peekers,Gas turbines, ect. He said Code was no use to him as all his work was pre designed and if there was a question he just sends out a R.F.I.(request for information) I;d love to find a Good article to dispute him. can anyone give me some ammo to use???

If he is working under the covers of listed equipment he may be right. I know there are lots of things going on with data processing equipment that don't meet the NEC. (things like 14ga cables under the floor with 100a breakers in front of them)

I don;t think peakers and gas turbines and most Industral equipment connections comes under listed and labled!We're talking 5 to 50 million dollars jobs here.

The NEC specifically does not cover power generation facilities. They come under the National Electrical Safety Code and compliance with that code normally requires a lot of engineering effort. Is he talking about power supply peeking units and gas fired turbine generators? If he is then the NEC does no apply to the generation equipment or even to the building in which they are installed if the buildings primary purpose is as a power generation facility.
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Tom H

[This message has been edited by tdhorne (edited 03-10-2005).]

He may be right. Aren't power generation facilites outside of the scope of the NEC?

It's true that any facility of that type is going to be fully designed and engineered. That said, I know for sure that power generation facilites do at least reference the NEC for the wiring inside and outside of the facilliy.

You aren't going to see the lights in the turbine rooms wired with lamp cord. Or duct banks built with plumbing pipe.

Peter D.

Peakers ect are privately owed thus come under the NEC if owned by a utilty company then they are code excempt(parts used for generation of power only) remember we're into deregulation now.Besides Conduit fill. Temp. rateing of conductors , tray fill , Clearances , ect ect would be code issues.

I'm sorry to be quarrelsome but the ownership is a non issue under the NEC. If it is a power generation facility it falls under the National Electrical Safety Code (NESC) rather than the National Electric Code (NEC) Any and all parts of a building the primary purpose of which is power generation is beyond the scope of the US NEC.

The law would not permit the application of the NEC to a facility owned by the Tom H wealth trust and not to the Dickerson peeking units owned by Potomac Energy. Potomac Energy is a deregulated power provider to and they could not afford to operate under the NEC.
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Tom H

Lots of Campus have there own power generation as well as paper mills ect. Peakers DO come underneath the N.E,C. Code they are being inspected all over the country. When pvt. owned,Quote N.F.P.A. 2002 code handbook page (13)under 90.2 scope Although such nonutility installions are within the Scope of the N.E.C. ,The NEC requirements may not always be all-inclusive,For example in clearences of conductors or clearences from buildings or structors for nominal voltages over 600 volts Additional info can be found in the NESC.

Then why does the NEC include Articles 690 (Solar PV Systems) and 692 (Fuel Cell Systems)?

Ernie- Find out if they are regulated by the PSC (Public Service Commission) If they are, then they might have some of their stuff exempt from inspection and the NEC. They would be subject to the NESC and the Michigan Electric code would not apply.