Can current limiting fuses, upstream of panel, be used to reduce available fault current to the panel? My research seems to indicate that UL does not recommend this. This rather old article from EC&M also suggests it's not recommended. Unless of course the fuse has a series rating with the panel's breakers that achieves the higher SCCR.
https://www.ecmweb.com/content/dont-be-felled-higher-fault-currents
It's been discussed in this forum many times now. The answer is, probably not.
If you are a contractor wanting to do this in the field, then it's definitely no. Using CL fuses is NOT an accepted method of correcting for an improperly rated piece of equipment in the field.
If you are or hire a registered PE willing to stake your/their professional reputation on it, technically that might be acceptable to an AHJ, but you should check first. A PE can do a proper in-depth STUDY of the fuse let-through curves and the withstand ratings of ALL of the down stream power devices, then stamp that study and you can submit that to the AHJ as an option. But if you are hiring the PE, you had better know in advance that it's going to be acceptable, because you will have to pay for it either way.
If you are a UL panel shop, there is a process under UL508A Supplement SB by which you can apply those principles as well, and then label the panel accordingly. But that would apply to custom assembled "Industrial Control Panels", not things like panelboards and load centers.
But if this is about a panelboard or load center, definitely check with the mfr, because in a LOT of cases they have already "series listed" the equipment with up stream fuses.
