Substation fence Grounding

[james_mcquade]

Hi all,

a coworker is wanting to know where he can find the code related to substations, specifically perimeter
fence grounding requirements.

any help would be much appreciated.

thanks in advance,
james

 

[GoldDigger]

Hi all,

a coworker is wanting to know where he can find the code related to substations, specifically perimeter
fence grounding requirements.

any help would be much appreciated.

thanks in advance,
james

NESC, not NEC I would say. Although there may be some overlap. Also POCO will probably have internal standards and good practices which extend the NESC and cover design issues. If he is doing work for POCO, they should provide that information.

 

[beanland]

IEEE

IEEE

The standards for substation grounding, including fences, are covered in an IEEE standard.

 

[GoldDigger]

The standards for substation grounding, including fences, are covered in an IEEE standard.

Is that (IEEE-80) a best practice standard or has it been adopted as a regulatory standard too?
My impression is that, unlike the NEC, the IEEE standard was not written from the goal of producing a mandatory standard. In other words, it is a standard rather than a code (in the OP's words.)
That said, it does a great job of showing how grounding/bonding for fault protection differs from grounding/bonding to prevent touch- and step- potential hazards.

 

[beanland]

NESC & NEC

NESC & NEC

The NEC is a prescriptive code, it tells you what you must do. The NESC is a functional code, it tells utilities what they must achieve. IEEE 80 is considered standard practice for determining if the substation grounding is adequate. You can build anything functional, as long as it is safe per the calculations of IEEE 80. The NEC just says "put this in," you do not have to prove it is safe; as long as you put that in, you meet the NEC. The NESC is more flexible but requires engineering.

 

[james_mcquade]

Thanks everyone,

regards,
jamed