NEC 2023: 705.11 "Source Connections to a Service"

[jaggedben]

Pertinent to the original question, under present and previous versions of the NEC, whenever conductor lengths are/were limited for supply side PV interconnections, there is/was an exception to the rule when cable limiters are/were used. How will the 2023 NEC address this, or will it?

There's no longer any provision addressing that. Compliance with 230 parts VI and VII is required, which require the service disconnect outside or nearest the entrance, and overcurrent protection at the same location.

So for outside conductors, cable limiters are no longer required for longer distances. And for inside conductors, they are no longer permitted as a way to extend the length.

 

[ggunn]

So for outside conductors, cable limiters are no longer required for longer distances. And for inside conductors, they are no longer permitted as a way to extend the length.

Outside interconnections, right? The NEC removed the conductor length restrictions for outside interconnections when they moved the rules to 705.11.

Cable limiters are a pain, and the last I checked they had very long lead times; I recently designed a system with an outside supply side interconnection that is under the 2014 NEC, so 705.31 is the rule and the nearest point where I can put the disco is 50' from the POI.

 

[pv_n00b]

Pertinent to the original question, under present and previous versions of the NEC, whenever conductor lengths are/were limited for supply side PV interconnections, there is/was an exception to the rule when cable limiters are/were used. How will the 2023 NEC address this, or will it?

Cable limiters were removed as an option in 2023. The length of any service entrance conductors, the unprotected PV interconnection conductors in this instance, inside a building is back to being very limited. The distance is not specified and is up to the AHJ's discretion. I would assume once the building is penetrated, or where a tap is made to inside service equipment, we will be expected to mount a PV disconnect as close as possible. Considering the commercial electrical rooms I see with no space to mount new equipment this is going to be a huge problem. Maybe AHJs will allow some distance if the conductors are in RMC. From a safety perspective, cable limiters used like this were a joke anyway. All the interconnections I deal with are parallel circuits and cable limiters on one end did nothing to make these safer. I'm glad they are gone.