Circuits between multiple buildings

Status
Not open for further replies.
T

teh_engineer

Member
Location
Baltimore, MD
We are designing an apartment building that is part of a future apartment complex. There is an adjacent, abandoned warehouse building which is also part of the same apartment complex. The intent is that the warehouse building will be renovated as well, but at a future date.

Is it permissible by the NEC to mount lighting fixtures onto the abandoned warehouse and supplied from the apartment building? NEC 225 does not seem to explicitly prohibit doing so, but I am hoping I'm not missing something elsewhere.

Thanks in advance.
 
Last edited:
teh_engineer said:
We are designing an apartment building that is part of a future apartment complex. There is an adjacent, abandoned warehouse building which is also part of the same apartment complex. The intent is that the warehouse building will be renovated as well, but at a future date.

Is it permissible by the NEC to mount lighting fixtures onto the abandoned warehouse and supplied from the apartment building? NEC 225 does not seem to explicitly prohibit doing so, but I am hoping I'm not missing something elsewhere.

Thanks in advance.
Click to expand...
Is this the only power on the building?

Can get a little complicated, if you run just a singe branch circuit (including multiwire branch circuits) it kind of is no different than running circuit to lighting poles.

If you run a feeder to the building you need to have a main disconnect (or up to six grouped in one location) and a grounding electrode system, and it gets more complex if there is another supply to the building. General rule is only one feeder can supply the building.

Might also be possible to make a temporary supply if this is the only power in the building but change it over to a permanent supply once the building gets remodeled, but what I mentioned above will still apply to most temporary supplies as well.
 
Thank you for your response.


It would only be one or two branch circuits for area/outline lighting, as the two buildings are along the perimeter of a shared parking lot, and possibly a receptacle or two inside.


Is there any prohibition against providing interior circuits to the warehouse as well? I've never been too sure about sharing circuits between buildings, as it just seems like proper engineering practice to keep systems within building completely independent of each other.


Thanks
 
teh_engineer said:
Thank you for your response.


It would only be one or two branch circuits for area/outline lighting, as the two buildings are along the perimeter of a shared parking lot, and possibly a receptacle or two inside.


Is there any prohibition against providing interior circuits to the warehouse as well? I've never been too sure about sharing circuits between buildings, as it just seems like proper engineering practice to keep systems within building completely independent of each other.


Thanks
Click to expand...
If it is the only supply to the building nothing is wrong with it. Art 225 part III says the building can only be served by one branch circuit or feeder. So if you need multiple circuits, you need a feeder, a grounding electrode system at the second building, and most likely are going to use a panelboard to connect to each branch circuit.

This isn't much different than having a dwelling and then supplying a nearby garage from the dwelling.
 
No offense intended but the question reminds me of the phone calls I get daily.. :D
"a few lights" becomes "one or two circuits" becomes "light and receptacles".. LOL\

As others note: Art 225 allows you ONE branch circuit (could be a MWBC) or ONE feeder
In agree with petersonra (feeder)\

If the abandoned building ever gets its own power you can plead 225.30(D)m to the AHJ,
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top