[RE-wrenches] NEC for Batteries < 60v ??

[Glenn Burt]

Hi Ray,

This is a conversation I have had some time ago with a number of my fellow inspectors and code experts. When the 2017 NEC came out, I agreed with Mike Holt and Bill Brooks' assessment that the new article was poorly written and did not apply to most systems being installed today. After much discussion through my Cadmus network of authorities, it emerged that indeed 706 apples to the typical residential systems.
So Energy Storage Systems (ESS) are the point of article 706, and I believe that the key point is that the SYSTEM is generating AC voltage of 120VAC or 240VAC, making the system fall under article 706.

Batteries themselves are minimally covered by NEC 480, NFPA 1, and the IFC as applicable locally.
So, the bottom line is that the new article does cover the work we do when systems provide or interface with 120VAC or above (making the system operation exceeding the 60V AC trigger).

My initial problem was believing that the article applied to a component (the battery bank), and not the system (all components taken together as a generator/storage system). It is an easy misunderstanding to make.

Hope this helps!

-Glenn Burt

-----Original Message-----
From: RE-wrenches <re-wrenches-bounces at lists.re-wrenches.org> On Behalf Of Ray
Sent: Saturday, March 09, 2019 12:41 PM
To: RE-wrenches <re-wrenches at lists.re-wrenches.org>
Cc: Bill Brooks <billb at energy808.com>; Bill Brooks <billbrooks7 at yahoo.com>
Subject: [RE-wrenches] NEC for Batteries < 60v ??

Hi Everyone;

I'm updating all my verbage on plansets, and I just realized that the newly created article 706 covering Energy Storage Systems is only for Over 60 VDC (706.1)  Also article 480 for batteries only requires disconnecting means over 60 VDC ?! (480.7).   I'm not about to not have a disconnect, so now that NEC pulled battery systems out of 690,  where do we go for guidance on normal battery systems: 12, 24, 48 VDC?

Overall, I welcome most of the changes in NEC 2017, like separating off grid systems into articles 706, and 710, but it seems us off grid installers need some more clarification.

Thanks,

--
Ray Walters
Remote Solar
303 505-8760

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