Span Smart Panel - Siemens branch breakers series rated with SquareD main circuit breaker?

[sunbear]

I'm hoping to install a Span Panel in my home next week. It's a smart panel that provides real-time power data for each circuit in the panel via an app. Additionally handles load shedding during a power outage when the house is running on backup battery power.

Please see an excerpt of their installation manual below. My existing house panel is a 200A Siemens panel containing Siemens branch breakers. Additionally it contains a 80A breaker that connects to another Siemens subpanel in the garage containing a bunch more Siemens breakers. I have confirmed with Span that my existing Siemens breakers are listed for use since they are all either type QP or AFCI (type QAF2) or GFCI (type QP) Siemens branch breakers. I would therefore prefer to reuse the existing Siemens breakers rather than spend $800 or so buying replacement SquareD breakers.

The problem I have is that I don't know how to determine whether these Siemens branch breakers are series rated with the SquareD 200A QOM2000VH which seems to be the only choice for the Main Circuit Breaker in the Span Panel.

Does anyone know how I can verify this?

I have asked both Span and the electrician they recommended for the install and neither has been able to provide an answer yet. Span says the electricians should be able to provide the answer. The electricians are worried about the inspector failing the inspection due to having mixed Siemens (branch) and SquareD (main) breakers even though Span has said this has been certified.

I don't think replacing all the Siemens breakers with SquareD is cost effective since it would involve not only replacing all the breaker in both my house panel and my garage panel, but likely also tearing my garage panel out of the sheetrock and spray foam that it's embedded in and replacing with a SquareD panel.

Thanks!

 

[LarryFine]

The problem I have is that I don't know how to determine whether these Siemens branch breakers are series rated with the SquareD 200A QOM2000VH which seems to be the only choice for the Main Circuit Breaker in the Span Panel.

Does anyone know how I can verify this?

The instructions clearly state that Siemens breakers may be used. Does your system require a 22kA rating?

One sure option is to as the inspector before you commit to either choice.

 

[jaggedben]

Seems to me your choices are:
1) to verify there's only 10k available short circuit current
2) use the Sq-D breakers
3) maybe provide a Siemens main breaker upstream of the panels? Do you absolutely need a main breaker in the Span?

Pretty much what Larry said. I was typing as he posted.

 

[jim dungar]

There is nothing in the OP posted instructions that claim any series rating exists. It clearly puts the onus on the customer to determine if series ratings are available. The OP will need to contact Siemens to see if they have an unpublished series rating with the Square D breaker in the Span panel.

the best thing would be to see if the available fault current is below 10kA. Some short circuit analysis would likely need to be performed, so it may not be worth it financially. Also, there is a good probability that the utility, or AHJ, simply requires a residential 200A service to be series rated 22/10kAIC as a default.

 

[Jraef]

I can assure you that Siemens will not have forked out the $50k+ necessary to achieve a series listing of their breakers with a main from a competitor. There would be zero return on that investment for them. This is why Span only lists the one option, it’s the only one they wanted to pay for.

But again, this only matters if your available fault current is above 10kA. If it is 10kA or less, you don’t need the Series Listing aspect.