210.64 in electrical room for solar?

[IPS]

Hi all!

I just talked to an installer who believes he should put a single phase receptacle per 2014 NEC 210.64 in the electrical room after installing a solar PV system. What is your take on that? I know it could be useful but is it required?

Thanks!

 

[charlie b]

Does the solar equipment in that room constitute "service equipment"? I think not, because the electric utility is not a player in a PV system. So my take is that it is not required by 210.64, but I always put receptacles in electrical rooms anyway.

 

[jaggedben]

Other than the grounding electrode system, we don't usually get asked to bring other aspects of a site up to code when installing PV. Yes, the code requires the outlet, but that's not really the question. The code requires lots of things that you may not find existing on a given site, especially if it has not had any work done on it since those code requirements were new. And those things in my experience, are generally, not required by jurisdictions to be updated if the work you're doing is not really related. It is, however, entirely up to the jurisdiction.

 

[charlie b]

Yes, the code requires the outlet, but . . . .

Well, maybe and maybe not. We don't know whether the building in question has other electrical rooms than the one that now houses PV equipment. The rule only applies to service equipment, and if that is in a different room it would not apply to this specific installation.

I do agree with you, however, in that installation of new PV equipment into an existing room should not trigger the rule, even if the room does have the service equipment and was built before the 2014 code.

 

[jaggedben]

Does the solar equipment in that room constitute "service equipment"? I think not, because the electric utility is not a player in a PV system. So my take is that it is not required by 210.64, but I always put receptacles in electrical rooms anyway.

PV equipment is not service equipment, I completely agree there. I didn't even take the OP's question that way. If the idea is that an outlet is required neat the PV equipment then I do not agree that is required by the section.

 

[IPS]

Thanks for all your inputs!

 

[ggunn]

PV equipment is not service equipment, I completely agree there. I didn't even take the OP's question that way. If the idea is that an outlet is required neat the PV equipment then I do not agree that is required by the section.

Just be advised that some AHJ's do consider supply side interconnected PV to be service equipment. One for sure does that I deal with.