What does the Basic Impule Level

(BIL) Rating of an Electrical

Equipment Mean?
Electrical equipment, including wires and cables, are designed to withstand short-term,
but very high-voltage pulses such as those sometimes caused by lightning and switching
surges. These “spikes,” as they are sometimes called, typically have a rise time in the
range of 1.5 microseconds and a fall time around 40 microseconds.

BIL of Electrical Equipment

BIL means
Basic Impulse Level. The basic impulse level (BIL) is the maximum impulse voltage that
electrical equipment can withstand without damage. For a cable or wire, it is the
maximum impulse voltage that the wire or cable is designed to withstand without
damage. Common BIL ratings are for different voltage systems are shown below:

System Voltage Rating (KV) Basic Impulse Level (KV)

2.5 60
5.0 75
8.0 95
15.0 110
25.0 150
35.0 200
69.0 350
138.0 650

Labels: Electrical Power