#1 wire ground from 2000 amp switchboard.

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kennneth1

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Hello everyone,
Perhaps someone out there can help me with this problem. I have a 2000 amp main switchboard with a 600 amp breaker feeding a separate building 150 feet away. The feeders are parallel #350's in a 4" underground pvc conduit. The engineer included a #1 ground to be run with these conductor. I didn't see a landing lug for this egc in the utility (unmetered) side of the switchgear that I was tying into. I called the engineer and he said I probably don't need it. I did call a couple of other EC's and the answer was vague. The inspector called me on this. If I do have to pull the ground in,it will be a good lesson to stick with the print. Thanks for everyones help.
Ken.

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Since it's a feeder the EGC is based on the 600 amp OCPD ahead of it so a #1 in each raceway is the correct size as long as 250.122(B) doesn't apply. The EGC should land on the ground bus in the switchboard where the feeder originates.
 
Is the "utility (unmetered)" side of the switchgear really service conductors (i.e. no upstream OCPD protecting them), then there will be no EGC coming from that side, but there may be a neutral grounded conductor which needs to be bonded to the building GES.
Where exactly are the meters in all this?
As long as the service point is in fact upstream of the building to building run you must have an EGC in it (with a few minor exceptions).

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Beware the word "ground"... the answer might change depending on the engineer referencing a groundED conductor or groundING conductor.
A groundED (neutral) conductor is not required unless you have a neural load,.
Based on the post, I assume we are discussing an equipment groundING conductor.
Asking electricians' opinions is akin to asking here.. you may well get 4 answers from 3 different folks.
As far as the requirement, go straight to the Book, 250.32 is fairly self explanatory.
If the same engineer that stated one might not be required also spec'd the gear he may not have included an equipment grounding bar
 
kennneth1 said:
Hello everyone,
Perhaps someone out there can help me with this problem. I have a 2000 amp main switchboard with a 600 amp breaker feeding a separate building 150 feet away. The feeders are parallel #350's in a 4" underground pvc conduit. The engineer included a #1 ground to be run with these conductor. I didn't see a landing lug for this egc in the utility (unmetered) side of the switchgear that I was tying into. I called the engineer and he said I probably don't need it. I did call a couple of other EC's and the answer was vague. The inspector called me on this. If I do have to pull the ground in,it will be a good lesson to stick with the print. Thanks for everyones help.
Ken.

Sent from my XT1585 using Tapatalk
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Unless these are service conductors, (they do not appear to be as you are running them from the load side of a breaker) you must have an Equipment Grounding Conductor run with the power conductors. If you are talking about the neutral (grounded) conductor, then that depends on the load. You only need that conductor if the load requires it.
 
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