Ground fault protection for Generators

[bobby ocampo]

Is it required to have ground fault protection for generators?

 

[ActionDave]

Portable generators?

If so the answer is sort of. UL has something to say about the generator's and the NEC has something to say about temporary power.

 

[Pharon]

Emergency (Article 700) and Legally Required Standby (Article 701) generators are not required to have ground fault protection as long as they have automatic disconnecting means (i.e. ATS's), though ground fault indication (alarms) are required. See 700.27 and 701.26.

For some reason, there is no section for Optional Standby (Article 702) generators on this subject.

 

[bobby ocampo]

Why is it that ground fault protection is not required if there is an Automatic Transfer Switch(ATS)?

What are the criteria for a legally required Generators?

 

[ActionDave]

Why is it that ground fault protection is not required if there is an Automatic Transfer Switch(ATS)?

Why should it be? What is your reason for asking?

What are the criteria for a legally required Generators?

I. General
701.1 Scope
The provisions of this article apply to the electrical safety of
the installation, operation, and maintenance of legally re-
quired standby systems consisting of circuits and equipment
intended to supply, distribute, and control electricity to re-
quired facilities for illumination or power, or both, when the
normal electrical supply or system is interrupted.
The systems covered by this article consist only of those
that are permanently installed in their entirety, including the
power source.

701.2 Definition
Legally Required Standby Systems. Those systems re-
quired and so classed as legally required standby by munici-
pal, state, federal, or other codes or by any governmental
agency having jurisdiction. These systems are intended to
automatically supply power to selected loads (other than
those classed as emergency systems) in the event of failure
of the normal source.

It goes on from there.

 

[iwire]

Is it required to have ground fault protection for generators?

Can we clear up a couple of things?

1) Are you really asking about GFP or are you asking about GFCI?

2) Are you asking about portable generators or permenant generators?

 

[bobby ocampo]

Emergency (Article 700) and Legally Required Standby (Article 701) generators are not required to have ground fault protection as long as they have automatic disconnecting means (i.e. ATS's), though ground fault indication (alarms) are required. See 700.27 and 701.26.

For some reason, there is no section for Optional Standby (Article 702) generators on this subject.

Based on this post, Why is it that ground fault protection is not required if there is ATS?

 

[bobby ocampo]

Can we clear up a couple of things?

1) Are you really asking about GFP or are you asking about GFCI?

2) Are you asking about portable generators or permenant generators?

1. Ground fault protection as in LSIG

2. Permanent Generators.

 

[Pharon]

Ground fault protection for Generators

Based on this post, Why is it that ground fault protection is not required if there is ATS?

I was interpreting 700.27 as saying that ground fault protection is not required as long as there's an automatic disconnecting means, but I was reading it wrong - they're referring to OCPD, not ATS's. My bad.

 

[bobby ocampo]

I was interpreting 700.27 as saying that ground fault protection is not required as long as there's an automatic disconnecting means, but I was reading it wrong - they're referring to OCPD, not ATS's. My bad.

What is the OCPD they are referring?

 

[Pharon]

What is the OCPD they are referring?

I assume they're referring to the main system disconnecting means for the emergency source -- basically the breaker that disconnects the generator from everything downstream.