GROUNDING RULES FOR SEPARATELY DERIVED

SYSTEMS REORGANIZED AND REVISED

(NEC 2002 VS NEC 2005)

FEATURES JULY/AUGUST 2004

MICHAEL JOHNSTON

https://iaeimagazine.org/magazine/features/grounding-rules-for-separately-derived-systems-reorganized-and-
revised/

Section 250.30(A) has been reorganized and restructured to provide a more

logical layout and improve clarity for users as a result of the work of a task group
to achieve those primary objectives.

Table 1 cross-references and outlines the new arrangement of this section and
provides a comparison between how this section was organized in the 2002 NEC
and how it is structured for the 2005 NEC.

Table 1. Table shows comparison between 2002 Section 250.30(A) and 2005 Section
250.30(A) and all subdivisions

Various technical changes were also accepted during this cycle and were
incorporated into the rewrite in the comment stage of the 2005 NEC development
process [ROP 5-78, ROC 5-52].
The sizing requirements for equipment bonding jumpers have been clarified to
reference 250.102(C) which resolves sizing conflicts where the derived phase
conductors are installed as parallel secondary conductors.

The methods of connection for the grounding electrode conductor taps to the
common grounding electrode conductor have been revised to be consistent with
the methods permitted by the same concept allowed under the provisions of
250.64(D) for services.

A clarification has been incorporated into Section 250.30(A)(7) to indicate that any
of the electrodes in 250.52(A) shall be permitted to be used where structural metal
building frame electrodes or where a metal water pipe grounding electrode is not
available. The structural metal building frame bonding and metal water piping
bonding requirements in this section have been relocated under 250.104(D). The
revisions to this section more clearly address grounding electrode conductor(s)
requirements for individual separately derived systems and the common grounding
electrode conductor concept for multiple separately derived systems as separate
provisions in their own respective subsections.

Various additional technical changes were also incorporated into the

reorganization and are as follows:

(A)(1). The term system bonding jumper has been incorporated into
250.30(A)(1) and replaces the term bonding jumper. “Bonding Jumper, System.
The connection between the grounded circuit conductor and the equipment
grounding conductor at a separately derived system.”

Section 250.28 has also been revised to correlate with this revision and a new
definition of system bonding jumper has been introduced and accepted into Article
100 [ROP 5-80, ROC 5-48] (see figure 1).
Figure 1. System bonding jumper is the connection between the grounded conductor and
equipment grounding conductor at a separately derived system

(A)(2). Equipment bonding jumper requirements have been relocated here from
2002 Section 250.30(A)(5). In addition to being relocated under the
reorganization, a technical change was accepted to change the reference to
250.28(A) through (D) for minimum sizing to now reference 250.102(C).

The change was needed here to allow sizing rules for equipment bonding jumpers
installed with conductors run in parallel from separately derived systems and
installed in separate raceways. The reference to 250.28 for sizing was limited in
application to those installations where all conductors were installed in a single
raceway [ROP 5-102] (see figure 2).
Figure 2. Sizing requirements for equipment bonding jumpers or the wire type between
the source enclosure and the first system enclosure reference Section 250.102(C)

(A)(3). No changes other than to renumber 2002 NEC subdivision

250.30(a)(2)(a) to 250.30(A)(3) and to change the heading of the section to
“Grounding Electrode Conductor, Single Separately Derived System.”

(A)(4). This is the location for the requirements for multiple separately
derived systems that are grounded by utilizing the grounding electrode
conductor tap concept previously located in 2002 Section 250.30(A)(2)(b).

The heading of this section is now titled “Grounding Electrode Conductor, Multiple
Separately Derived Systems” under the reorganization. The changes to this
section include presenting the information in a list format as appropriate per NEC
Style Manual (3.3.1.2).

The rules for sizing the common grounding electrode conductor, sizing the
grounding electrode conductor taps, the connection requirements, and installation
requirements now all fall under this subdivision in this section.

Where the common grounding electrode conductor tap concept is utilized, the
minimum size of the common grounding electrode conductor must not be smaller
than 3/0 copper or 250 kcmil aluminum as a result of this revision. It should be
noted that various discussions led to consensus by the technical committee over
this more restrictive sizing requirement.

The consensus and feeling were that where this concept is employed, it doesn’t
take much to reach the maximum required values provided in Table 250.66. It was
also felt that having the maximum size required by Table 250.66 would provide
reasonable assurances that future installations would not result in an inadequately
sized grounding electrode conductor(s).

Installers are still permitted to run a single grounding electrode conductor to an

electrode in accordance with (A)(3) above [ROP 5-93, ROC 5-61] (see figure 3).

Figure 3. The minimum size of the common grounding electrode conductor must not be
smaller than 3/0 copper or 250 aluminum or copper-clad aluminum

In new subdivision (c), the methods of connection of the grounding electrode

conductor taps to the common grounding electrode conductor have been clarified
and presented in a list format.

The methods permitted have been revised to be consistent with those methods
permitted for the grounding electrode conductor tap concept currently allowed as
an alternative under 250.64(D) for connections of grounding electrode conductors
for services. This resolves the conflict between 250.30(A)(3) and 250.64(D) in the
2002 NEC relative to the methods of termination of the grounding electrode
conductor taps to the common grounding electrode conductor.

(A)(5). References to 250.64(A), (B), and (C) have been relocated here and
provide applicability to grounding electrode conductor installation rules for single
systems in (A)(3) and multiple systems in (A)(4). The installation provisions were
only applicable to grounding electrode conductors and taps under multiple derived
systems in the 2002 NEC.

(A)(6). As revised, this section serves only as a reference into Part V

“Bonding” and Section 250.104(D) which is the new location for piping system
and structural metal member bonding requirements for separately derived
systems.
All applicable requirements and exceptions have been relocated and reorganized
in this new section under the panel action on Comment 5-149. This is a logical
relocation of these requirements because bonding rules are located in Part V of
Article 250 and the title of this section is “Grounding Separately Derived
Alternating-Current Systems” [ROP 5-196, 5-201, ROC 5-149] (see figure 4).

Figure 4. Structural metal framing member and metal piping system bonding
requirements located in 250.104(D)

(A)(7). This section includes the grounding electrode requirements previously

located in 2002 NEC 250.30(A)(4) and rewrites item (3) to a new exception under
this section.

This wording was also revised slightly to include the words “any of the” in front of
other electrodes to clarify that the requirement was not meant to be inclusive of all
the other electrodes in 250.52, just an electrode that would meet the requirement.

Another change to this section was to remove the term effectively grounded and
revise the section to provide references to the nearest of a either metal water pipe
electrode in accordance with 250.52(A)(1) or a structural metal grounding
electrode as specified in 250.52(A)(2).

These changes reflect efforts to clarify that separately derived systems are
required to be grounded by connection to a grounding electrode as specified in
250.52. It should also be noted that a new definition of grounding electrode has
been introduced into Article 100 to provide additional clarifications [ROP 5-97].
“Grounding Electrode. A device that establishes an electrical connection to earth.”
 (A)(8) Grounded Conductor. The reorganization of this section included
relocating the minimum sizing requirements for grounded conductors of separately
derived systems to 250.30(A)(8).

No technical changes were made to this section other than to renumber the
section under the reorganization.

Section 250.30(B) is not affected by any of the revisions to 250.30(A).

The primary source of recommended changes that resulted in the reorganization

of Section 250.30(A) includes Proposal 5-78 and Comment 5-52.

This article includes coverage of action taken on those recommended changes

through April 2004.

The 2005 NEC process is still ongoing and further action taken during the May
2004, NFPA Annual Meeting and World Conference in Salt Lake City, Utah, could
have an impact on the final wording in 250.30(A)