Panel Surge Protection

[Machiavelli999]

We have a panel feeding circuits that are hardwired to office partitions. The partitions have outlets. The user would like to have surge protection for the workstations at the office partitions.

Question was raised if there is a way to avoid having a bunch of surge power strips and instead have a surge protection device at the panel. Normally, I don't see SPDs at the panel out here in California. This, I thought, was because SPDs at the panel level are only done to protect against lightning strike surges which don't happen out here. I have also read that even if a panel SPD is provided, local SPDs are still recommended for individual devices.

Still, the question, would a panel SPD provide the protection from surges normally seen by workstations?

 

[gadfly56]

We have a panel feeding circuits that are hardwired to office partitions. The partitions have outlets. The user would like to have surge protection for the workstations at the office partitions.

Question was raised if there is a way to avoid having a bunch of surge power strips and instead have a surge protection device at the panel. Normally, I don't see SPDs at the panel out here in California. This, I thought, was because SPDs at the panel level are only done to protect against lightning strike surges which don't happen out here. I have also read that even if a panel SPD is provided, local SPDs are still recommended for individual devices.

Still, the question, would a panel SPD provide the protection from surges normally seen by workstations?

In my opinion, no. The shorter the distance between the protection and device protected, the less chance there is for something to sneak its way in. Eaton's CH brand brochure suggests using local strips to enhance the protection provided by panel-level devices. While the panel device protects against external disturbances, it won't protect against any transients created inside the building.

 

[ActionDave]

They make surge protection than clips on the buss of a panel, they also make surge protected outlets.

 

[kwired]

Just because you don't have much lightning there doesn't mean you won't get transients from POCO switching things at times, from a large load customer on your system at times or even from switching loads within your own facility.

Panel level SPD's warranties often state you still need protection at the outlet level before they will pay out any claims that their equipment failed to protect you.

 

[Machiavelli999]

Thanks for your responses!

 

[petersonra]

Incidentally, the SPD designed for use at the service point limit the voltage transients but they limit them to a higher voltage then do the SPD that are used downstream of the service point. So you may get more benefit from a layered approach where the SPD at the service point is supplemented by a plug inSPD that directly protects a specific device.