While electricity availability doesn’t guarantee wealth, its absence almost always means poverty.

Juice takes viewers to Beirut, Reykjavik, Kolkata, San Juan, Manhattan, and Boulder to tell the human story of electricity and to explain why power equals power.

The defining inequality in the world today is the disparity between the electricity rich and the electricity poor. In fact, there are more than 3 billion people on the planet today who are using less electricity than what’s used by an average American refrigerator.

Electricity is the world’s most important and fastest-growing form of energy. To illuminate its importance, the Juice team traveled 60,000 miles to gather 40 on-camera interviews with people from seven countries on five continents. Juice shows how electricity explains everything from women’s rights and climate change to Bitcoin mining and indoor marijuana production. The punchline of the film is simple: darkness kills human potential. Electricity nourishes it.

Juice explains who has electricity, who’s getting it, and how developing countries all over the world are working to bring their people out of the dark and into the light.

UFC documents provide planning, design, construction, sustainment, restoration, and modernization criteria, and apply to the Military Departments, the Defense Agencies, and the DoD Field Activities in accordance with DoD Directive 4270.5 (Military Construction) and USD(AT&L) Memorandum dated 29 May 2002. UFC are distributed only in electronic media and are effective upon issuance

One can scan monthly summaries of outage data at the U.S. Energy Information Administration, either directly on its website or in Table B.1 of its downloadable monthly report, Electric Power Monthly. This source lists outages exceeding 50,000 customers for more than one hour as well as utility network events that may have not resulted in outages. It is based, in turn, on the results of Form OE-417 - Electric Emergency Incident and Disturbance Report, which regulated entities submit to the U.S. Department of Energy. Annual summaries can be downloaded from the Department of Energy. One can view also view quantities of reported real-time customers without power at PowerOutage.us, and can gain insight through S&C Electric’s annual report Entitled 2020 State of Commercial & Industrial Power Reliability Report, which summarizes responses from large commercial and industrial firms about their experiences.

What's the significance of this information? Power outages commonly occur, and thus require appropriate planning as a condition of operation. Is this a new finding? No .... Industry experts have pointed this out all along, and backup power systems have been around nearly as long as electrical grids. What's interesting is that this condition hasn't improved in recent years.

The S&C Report summarizes outage experiences of 255 companies averaging $4 billion in annual revenues (by our rough calculation, nearly 5 percent of the US Gross Domestic Product). It concludes:

1 Reliability has not improved over the last three years. In 2019, 21 percent of companies experienced outages monthly.
1 Power disruptions and their associated expenses have significant impact on commercial and industrial companies, leading to a growing need to install alternative reliability solutions.
1 Companies are willing to pay premiums for guaranteed power.

We invite you to review the document, noting that S&C Electric provides equipment and services primarily to the electrical transmission industry and likely self-funded the report. Nevertheless, each of the findings bears on the backup power community:

1 At ASCO, we remind people that outages should continue to be viewed as an expected operating condition, and S&C's first conclusion supports this thought.
1 When power outages do occur, the costs of disruption and recovery are substantial. If the numbers are even half as high as reported, outages of all types are expensive. Consequently, backup power systems provide real value. Nevertheless, the S&C Report addresses commercial and industrial users ... consider also mitigating outages at mission-critical facilities such as large data centers that make modern economic activity possible ... or the present demand for life-saving services at medical facilities that rely on power. Disruptions in power flow can and does have monumental impacts.
1 The willingness of companies to pay more for reliable power and their willingness to invest in alternatives again speaks to the importance of maintaining power availability. Backup power systems do this.

Ampacities of Copper Alloy C11000 Busbars

Ampacities in the table below are for bus bars having an emissivity of 0.4. This was observed on samples exposed for 60 days in an industrial environment, and it is probably identical to that of bus bars in service.

Modeling 101

Learn more about everything that goes into modeling the output of a photovoltaic (PV) solar array

While each array is unique, advanced performance modeling follows a standard approach for calculating the energy production of an array. The process begins with data on the environmental conditions, then calculates the irradiance that will be collected by the solar modules, then computes the performance of the solar modules, and finally models the system effects of all of the electrical components.
The core mathematics is based on industry-standard approaches for modeling each step in the system performance. None of the steps described here are proprietary or secret, instead, they are all based on research and analysis published by academic research institutions and national labs.

By understanding the drivers of performance in more detail, system engineers can make better decisions about the components and designs they deploy. The approach described in this guide is the exact math used in HelioScope.

The Modeling 101 Guide describes the high-level relationships between the drivers of system performance modeling. For a more quantitative view of the exact equations, see the Mathematical Formulation available in HelioScope.

This Electrical Installation Wiki is a collaborative platform, brought to you by Schneider Electric: our experts are continuously improving its content, collaboration is also open to all.

The Electrical Installation Guide (wiki) has been written for electrical professionals who must design safe and energy efficient electrical installation, in compliance with international standards such as the IEC 60364.

Guide de l'installation électrique
Téléchargez le document complet

700 pages pour accéder à toutes les informations et les évolutions technologiques relatives aux normes d'installation électrique publiées par la Commission électrotechnique internationale (CEI) et adapté à la norme NF C 15-100.

A practical guide with expert advice
Written by Schneider Electric's most talented electrical distribution experts, the Electrical Installation Guide is written for professionals who design, install, inspect, and maintain low-voltage electrical installations in compliance with the standards published by the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC).

Our experts “do the heavy lifting” and share their industry-leading knowledge about new and updated electrical installation standards and technological evolutions so that you can have the most up-to-date and relevant information.

Water ingress into transfer switches and other critical power equipment can impact operability, reliability and service life. This document summarizes measures for mitigating water-related risks throughout the equipment lifecycle.

Equipment Enclosure Classifications

The Millennium Challenge Account-Liberia (MCA-L) has provided equipment worth US$1.2 million to boost the capacity of the Liberia Electricity Corporation (LEC). The 47 transformers, 3,652 meters, 241 surge arrestors, 1 Digger Derrick truck, 1 bucket truck, and assorted personal protection equipment will allow LEC to build a much more stable grid. //

In addition to funding 40 percent of the cost of rebuilding the Mount Coffee Hydro Power Plant, the compact has also paid for a three-year management services contractor to manage LEC and turn it into a more efficient and profitable company.

Hon. Orison M. Amu and Hon Samuel D. Tweah Jr signed the Financing Agreement for Renewable Energy Electricity in Liberia MONROVIA – The Government of Liberia and the African Development Bank (AfDB) have signed Financing Agreements for two Projects ... //

According to the Agreement, the value of the REEL Project is US$33.74 million and is expected to be implemented over a 4-year period.

The Agreement mentions the development of a hydropower plant on the Gbedin Falls on the St. John River in Nimba County as the main objective of the REEL Project. The dam is expected to have a capacity of 9.34 megawatts and will serve as a source of reliable, sustainable and affordable power in the region thus enabling the power grid expansion to isolated localities and remote areas, and encourage the connection of a increased number of households, schools, health centers, businesses and industries to the national grid.

Herbert G. Ufer was a vice president and engineer at Underwriters Laboratories who assisted the U.S. military with ground-resistance problems at installations in Arizona. Ufer’s findings in the 1940s proved the effectiveness of concrete-­encased grounding electrodes. The military required low-resistance (5 ohms or less) ground connections for lightning protection systems installed at its ammunition and pyrotechnic storage sites at the Navajo Ordnance Depot in Flagstaff and Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson. Ufer developed the initial design for a concrete-encased grounding electrode that consisted of ½-inch, 20-foot-long reinforcing bars placed within and near the bottom of 2-foot-deep concrete footings for the ammunition storage buildings. Test readings over a 20-year period revealed steady resistance values of 2 to 5 ohms, which satisfied the specifications of the U.S. government at that time. This work eventually resulted in what we know today as the concrete-encased electrode in the NEC. More details about Ufer’s research are provided in his October 1964 IEEE paper CP-978, “Investigation and Testing of Footing-Type Grounding Electrodes for Electrical Installations.”

• What Is A 'Ufer' Ground? Concrete-Encased Grounding Electrodes

• On Solid Ground: Defining and Understanding UFER Ground
• Electrical Service Grounding Option: The Steel Rebar 'Sticking-Out' Method?

Effective, reliable grounding electrodes or grounding electrode systems are required for all electrical services and systems. This presented a problem for Herbert Ufer. During WWII, he served as an Army consultant overseeing the building of bomb storage vaults in the vicinity of Tucson and Flagstaff, Ariz. Ufer found the high-Ohm resistance of the dry, sandy Arizona desert presented a grounding challenge. Conventional ground rods were unable to meet the required low-ground resistance requirements. He addressed the challenge by developing a concrete-encased ground, which now carries his name, the Ufer ground.

Properties of concrete provide the key

The Ufer ground takes advantage of the properties of concrete. Essentially, concrete absorbs and retains moisture quickly, but loses it slowly over time. In addition, the composition and pH of concrete is such that it allows ionic transfer, which means that it has available ions to conduct electric currents. Furthermore, the soil around the concrete becomes “doped” by the presence of the concrete. As a result, the pH of the soil rises and consequently reduces what would normally be high-Ohm resistance conditions.

Ufer fond that a concrete-encased ground provides a safe, elegant and practical alternative to the exterior metal-driven rod system we all are familiar with and which we know can be subject to damage or tampering.Amendments to the 2008 NEC, National Electric Code have clarified some provisions of previous concrete encased electrode language. Although the word “Ufer” is not used in the text of the code, NEC Section 250.52(A)(3) addresses Ufer grounds.

A solidly grounded system is one in which the neutral points have been intentionally connected to earth ground with a conductor having no intentional impedance and this partially reduces the problem of transient over-voltages found on the ungrounded system.

While solidly grounded systems are an improvement over ungrounded systems, and speed the location of faults, they lack the current limiting ability of resistance grounding and the extra protection this provides. The destructive nature of arcing ground faults in solidly grounded systems is well known and documented and are caused by the energy dissipated in the fault. A measure of this energy can be obtained from the estimate of Kilowatt-cycles dissipated in the arc:

Kilowatt cycles = V x I x Time/1000.

In the same IEEE Standard as reference above, section 7.2.2 states that:

"one disadvantage of the solidly grounded 480v system involves the high magnitude of ground-fault currents that can occur, and the destructive nature of arcing ground faults."

Since the vast majority of arcing faults start their life as single-phase faults, the key to reducing their impact is to use technology that either significantly reduces the fault current level thereby reducing the magnitude of the arc hazard and/or using technology that prevents transient overvoltages that can lead to single-phase faults escalating into arcing faults.

The answer in both cases is high resistance grounding, as recognized in the Canadian Electrical Code section 10-1100, and the National Electrical Code section 250-36.

High resistance grounding of the neutral limits the ground fault current to a very low level (typically from 1 to10 amps) and this is achieved by connecting a current limiting resistor between the neutral of the transformer secondary and the earth ground and is used on low voltage systems of 600 volts or less, under 3000 amp. By limiting the ground fault current, the fault can be tolerated on the system until it can be located, and then isolated or removed at a convenient time.

In tests, damaging voltage transients measured on a 480 volt ungrounded system were eliminated once the circuit was converted to high resistance grounded.

With respect o the magnitude of fault current, the energy or I 2 t value for a 1 amp fault is 1/ 1,000,000 of a 1000 amp fault assuming an equal amount of time.

The National Electric Code allows a fault level of 1200 amps for one second on a solidly grounded system before a circuit must trip, however in practice fault levels in excess of 20,000 amps are common for a short period of time.

When designing future projects to meet the requirements of the 2020 Edition of the National Electrical Code (NEC), chances are your electrical rooms, power distribution centers, and substations will grow a bit larger. Why? There was one simple sentence added to Sec. 110.26(C)(2), which states: “…Open equipment doors shall not impede the entry to or egress from the working space…”.

The electrical equipment being referred to in this Section specifically includes any piece of electrical equipment containing “overcurrent devices, switching devices, or control devices” if the equipment is either: (1) rated 1,200A or more and over 1.8 m (6 ft) wide, or (2) the service disconnecting means installed in accordance with Sec. 230.71 where the combined ampere rating is 1,200A or more and over 1.8 m (6 ft) wide.

Even though this requirement was added to Sec. 110.26 (1,000V or less) by way of Sec. 110.30, this change will apply to ALL large electrical equipment meeting the above-mentioned criteria, regardless of the voltage level. This change will most likely result in a substantial increase in the size of most rooms containing large motor control centers or switchgear.

For many years, most Authorities Having Jurisdiction (AHJs) have categorized most cases where there are two pieces of opposing equipment fronts to be a “Condition 3” situation [either NEC Table 110.26(A)(1) or Table 110.34(A)]. It will be interesting to see if AHJs will now require the requisite 24 in. egress space where opposing equipment doors can be fully opened simultaneously. This condition could occur either where the open doors are directly across from one another or at opposite ends of the working space.

On December 16, 2019, California’s Office of Administrative Law approved amendments to its Electric Vehicle Fueling Systems Specifications. Effective January 1, 2020, these new rules ban operators of electric vehicle charging stations from billing by the minute. This is a huge blow to Electrify America and EVgo. Both firms bill by the minute for EV … //

The Department acknowledges this group of comments and disagrees with the interpretation of the primary commodity being traded. As defined in BPC § 13400(a)(4) and (p), electricity is considered a type of motor vehicle fuel. NIST Handbook 44 makes clear what the unit of measure of electricity as motor vehicle fuel dispensed from EVSE shall be measured by — either the kWh or the megajoule (MJ). The Department concludes that the primary commodity delivered by EVSE is electricity, not parking space accessibility, parking space rental time, or accessibility to the EVSE itself. The Department considers those as “other services” of the transaction. The Department clarifies that time is not an acceptable unit of measure for dispensing and billing electricity as motor vehicle fuel. //

Electrek e-mailed Schnepp about operators’ ability to charge separate fees, who confirmed, “Electric vehicle service providers are allowed to charge ancillary fees such as: a connection fee; waiting fee for staying connected after reaching full state of charge; parking fee where such charges are normally applied; and a non-network access fee where applicable, provided that these fees are disclosed to the consumer prior to initiating a charging session (there may be other allowed fees not identified in this example).” //

In DMS’ survey of existing EVSEs, they found stations with equipment that DMS felt could not accurately convey energy delivered. These regulations will enable effective auditing of for-profit EVSEs and ensure the public isn’t getting ripped off. We hope other jurisdictions follow suit, and if private operators don’t like the rules, they’re free to step aside and let our utilities take over.

Eskom is one of the biggest power utilities in the world, providing 90% of supply in South Africa, the most industrialised country in Africa.

The firm generates almost all its electricity from coal, an abundant resource in South Africa.

However, it has also been plagued by a number of mismanagement and corruption scandals over the years, which have contributed to its serious financial issues.

Last week, after the country's biggest power outage in more than a decade, the state-owned firm had to implement some of the most far-reaching planned blackouts in years.

Scheduled blackouts are designed to prevent a total collapse of an overstretched power grid. Similar measures were put in place in February this year, as well as in 2018, 2015 and 2008.

Ratings agencies often cite the country's frequent power outages as one of the main risks to the South African economy.

Tesla’s Virtual Power Plant project in South Australia is only around ~2% complete, but it is already proving to be a difference-maker, rescuing Queensland’s grid during an unexpected power outage. The response time and efficiency of the Virtual Power Plant mirror that of Tesla’s other large-scale energy project in the region, the highly-acclaimed Hornsdale Power […]