NEC Article 700 Emergency Systems

The latest release of NEC/NFPA 70 edition 2023 (NEC 2023) has placed a greater emphasis on increasing personnel safety by mandating the use of Surge Protective Devices (SPDs).

From 2014 to 2023, the number articles now requiring SPDs has increased significantly for applications ranging from Modular Data Centers, Fire Pumps, Elevators, Critical Power Systems, Dwellings (Dormatories, Homes, Hospitals, Hotels), etc. This article will focus on Emergency Systems and how they are defined by NFPA 70 Article 700.

What are Emergency Systems

As stated by Article 700, Emergency Systems consists of circuits and equipment intended to supply, distribute, and control electricity for illumination, power, or both, to required facilities when the normal electrical supply or system is interrupted.

Emergency systems will be identified by labels and use transfer equipment (such as automatic transfer switches) to switch from normal power to the emergency power source.

Article 700.8	Requirement
Requirement	"A listed SPD shall be installed in or on all emergency system switchgear, switchboards, and panelboards.”

Selecting an SPD for Emergency Systems

The NEC/NFPA 70 also mentions the protection of the fire pump controller which is considered part of the emergency system.

Article 695.15	Requirement
Requirement	"A listed surge protective device (SPD) shall be installed in or on the fire pump controller.”

CITEL has a range of UL listed, NEC compliant, Surge Protective Devices (SPDs). This means selecting a surge protector is easier than it has ever been. There are only a few choices available for SPDs that are UL Listed for any of the most commonly used surge standards including UL1449 5th Edition, UL497B, and UL497E.

Recommended SPD for Emergency Systems

Location	Equipment	System	Surge Protector Model#
Service Entrance	Switchgear	277/480Vac	MDS750E-277Y
Service Entrance	Switchboard	480Vac	MDS750S-480D
Distribution Panel	Panelboard	120/208Vac Power Input	MS200-120Y
Distribution Panel	Panelboard	240Vac Power Input	M50-240D-A
Local Equipment	Control Panel	480Vac Power Input	DS74US-480D
Local Equipment	Power Supply	120-240Vac Power Input	DS72US-230S/G
Local Equipment	Power Supply	24Vdc Power Output	DS220S-24DC
Local Equipment	Network Switch	Ethernet Cat 6A	MJ8-C6A
Local Equipment	Communication Signals	RS-485	DLA-12D3
Building Rooftop/Cell Tower	Radio	Wireless	P8AX09-6G-N/FF


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