SURGE PROTECTION

White Papers

Highway, Street and Parking Lot Lighting
The information contained in this document is intended to highlight and discuss the importance of developing a surge protection strategy when servicing or installing your outdoor lighting.

Transient Protection Of The Smart Grid (WP-30018 Rev. 0 10-10)
The SMART Grid is being promoted as a method to decrease dependency on foreign energy sources, reduce the emission of global warming components, create a more reliable source of electricity, and allow consumers more choices in how and when they utilize electrical energy.

Integrating SPDs in Switchgear and Switchboards Causes More Problems than it Solves
Integrating surge protective devices (SPD) into distribution equipment (i.e. switchgear, switchboards, and panelboards) started in the late 1990’s as a new method to market and as a way to reduce the overall installation costs associated with SPDs. However, during the initial roll out of this application, incomplete engineering analyses were performed to address the safety and performance attributes of integrating SPDs into the distribution equipment.

ANSI and UL1449 Third Edition Safety Standard (WP-30016 Rev. 6 11-09)
New UL and NEC standards means new performance levels, test procedures and markings to SPD products and manufacturers

Selective Coordination of Surge Protection Devices (SPDs) (WP-30015 Rev. 0 9-08)
Selective coordination is a requirement for specific applications as a result of the 2005 National Electric Code, and is a best engineering practice for all other applications to ensure systems remain functional. This requirement for the coordination of overcurrent protective devices can make designing the AC power system and the application of various equipment (e.g. SPDs) difficult. To ensure equipment is properly applied, engineers need to ensure that the equipment does not cause the upstream overcurrent protective devices to activate, thus removing power from the complete panel.

IEEE Emerald Book Series - Staged Approach for SPDs in Data Center Applications (WP-30014 Rev. 1 - 9-08)
Data centers provide critical support to a variety of business functions. To ensure that the ac power system has high levels of availability to meet the demands of the business, specific levels of redundancy have been established by the Uptime Institute.

Series vs Parallel Surge Protection (WP-30012 Rev. 15-07)
Parallel connected “Sine Wave Tracking” (SWT) surge suppressors and series connected “Active Tracking” filters (ATF) both have their place in the “Total Copper Wire Protection” scheme.

IEEE Emerald Book Series - Using SPDs in Applications with Primary and Alternative Power Systems
The IEEE Emerald Book provides guidance on the application of SPDs in with primary and alternate AC power systems. Whether alternate AC power sources are being required to meet emergency needs or the needs of the business, these systems are being deployed in a number of applications.

Properly Applying Surge Protective Devices in a Health Care Facility
Installing Surge Protection Devices (SPDs) in health care facilities is complicated by the requirement to separate the electrical distribution among normal, essential, and emergency (i.e., critical and life safety) systems.

IEEE Emerald Book Series - Integrating SPDs into Power Distribution Equipment
The IEEE Emerald Book provides guidance against integrating SPDs internal to switchboards or panelboards. Integrating SPDs into switchboards or panelboards can cause line-to-line or line-to-ground faults when an SPD fails.

IEEE Emerald Book Series - Surge Protection Devices and Uninterruptible Power Supplies
UPS equipment, like other electronic equipment connected to the electrical distribution network, is susceptible to transient overvoltages from lightning and other sources. The IEEE Emerald Book provides guidance on the application of SPDs for UPS equipment.