wwhitney
Senior Member
- Location
- Berkeley, CA
- Occupation
- Retired
I'm inclined to agree, that was my how I understood it on first reading, although I'm not super-confident in my understanding.Distribution equipment is not defined but I understand it to mean all equipment other than the loads themselves.
As to phrase "where this distribution equipment is capable of supplying multiple branch circuits or feeders or both," I read "supplying" there to mean via direct connection, as opposed to eventually supplying downstream. Because with the latter meaning of supplying, every feeder supplies a branch circuit, so any discussion of feeders versus branch circuits is redundant. The phrase could just read "where this distribution equipment is capable of supplying multiple branch circuits".
So since the writers put in the "or feeders or both" they are indicating that supplying just means by direct connection. As such, none of 705.12(D)(1) through (7) apply to the feeders themselves, they apply only to panelboards, some tap boxes, some connectors, etc. At least, that's my take.
I'd be very interested to hear from the practicing PV designers here whether any of them has ever tried this line of reasoning for the 2011 NEC on an AHJ official.
Cheers, Wayne