Remotely supplied emergency power?

[Yikes]

Not sure whether this belongs here or on another forum. I'm an architect renovating an existing city-owned building, which includes several assembly rooms. I inquired about emergency power (for egress lighting and signs, etc.). The campus maintenance person says the city-owned utility provides them with a separate utility feed that qualifies as emergency power. He said it's the same backup power used by the hospital a mile away.

I've never heard of anything like this before. Is this guy crazy?

All the emergency poser supplies I've seen have been dedicated to an individual building, or perhaps to a campus of contiguous buildings: a generator and transfer switch, or a central battery / inverter system, or individual lights with internal battery backups.

Have you ever heard of a utility company promising emergency power to a customer?

 

[mtlogcabin]

Have it tested to see if it works. Should be pretty easy just throw the disconnect

No I have never heard of such a system

[F] 2702.1 Installation.

Emergency and standby power systems required by this code or the International Fire Code shall be installed in accordance with this code, NFPA 110 and 111.

[F] 2702.1.1 Stationary generators.

Stationary emergency and standby power generators required by this code shall be listed in accordance with UL 2200.

 

[cda]

Ok I will play

Is the back up a generator???

Interesting , just wonder if only a single building loses power , how does the back up know to supply back up power ??

 

[north star]

% * + ~ + ~



Yikes,

What electrical code is being used ?......Cal Electrical Code ?

The NEC defines "Emergency Standby Power Systems", ..."Legally

Required Power Systems"; such as in hospitals, and "Optional Standby

Power Systems".

In the `08 NEC, look in Article 700, 701 & 702 to see which fits

your application the best.

FWIW, ...the AHJ CAN decide what is considered "back-up" power

and what is not.......At least they can if going by the NEC.

= & + $ @ :

 

[chris kennedy]

From the 2011 NEC;

700.12(D) Separate Service.

Where approved by the authority having

jurisdiction as suitable for use as an emergency source of

power, an additional service shall be permitted. This service

shall be in accordance with the applicable provisions of Article

230 and the following additional requirements:

(1) Separate service drop or service lateral

(2) Service conductors sufficiently remote electrically and

physically from any other service conductors to minimize

the possibility of simultaneous interruption of supply

 

[mtlogcabin]

Big difference between a separate service under the NEC and the requirements of the IBC and IFC for emergency stand by power.

 

[cda]

Especially with jacho

 

[mark handler]

Yikes

I assume this is in Southern California. a large earthquake will disrupt any remote emergency power.

I would say no.

 

[Phil]

Mark,

It doesn't require an earthquake. Heavy winds can knock-out power to a neighborhood.

Yikes,

Let us know what you find-out. You might call the power company to see what they say.

 

[mark handler]

Mark,It doesn't require an earthquake. Heavy winds can knock-out power to a neighborhood.

Many powerlines are buried

 

[Yikes]

Update: Phil, the issue was tabled. Talked to the right old man on the maintenance staff, and found out that the adjacent newer building - on the same campus property - has its own emergency generator, with extra capacity to handle all the emergency lighting for the assembly building I'm working on.

There's already a utility chase/tunnel that connects the buildings, so there's a quick solution to all of this.

The city (as building owner) asked me not to pursue it further with the city-owned utility company. However, I will update this thread if I ever hear back from the utility company.

 

[mark handler]

Good thing

 

[Yikes]

Good thing

I agree, Mark. I often find myself pushing the code to its limits, but this (emergency power via the utility company) just strikes me as odd. Somehow I want to find backup power from a different source, not just a different feeder from the same utility company.

And yet there it is, right in the NEC 700.12.

 

[mark handler]

I agree, Mark. I often find myself pushing the code to its limits, but this (emergency power via the utility company) just strikes me as odd. Somehow I want to find backup power from a different source, not just a different feeder from the same utility company. And yet there it is, right in the NEC 700.12.

Add solar panels and battery storage

 

[north star]

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Yikes,

Also keep in mind that just because the source of back-up

power is coming from the same POCO, ...[ hopefully ] those

supply lines are coming off of a wholly separate electrical

grid, or electrical sub-station transmission lines.



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