ARC FLASH INCIDENT ENGERY ANALYSIS - RENEWAL RECOMMENDATIONS

NFPA 70E-2018 requires arc flash incident energy analysis to be updated when changes occur in the electrical power distribution system and the analysis shall be reviewed for accuracy at least every five years. NFPA-70E-2018 also requires data used for creating equipment labels, which contain arc flash energy information, to be reviewed at least every five years and, if the review identifies a change that renders the arc flash energy label inaccurate, the equipment label must be updated. The challenge for consultants and end users is to determine how much of a data review is required. NFPA 70E does not address this specific issue. For a small facility with only a few substations, the entire system model can be reviewed without too much work. For large facilities with many substations, a complete review of the entire system could take a year, which would be costly or a large burden on resources. In this paper, the authors will provide suggested guidelines for performing the five-year review. The authors provide their recommended arc flash incident energy analysis renewal approach that would help ensure the system labeling can be updated appropriately while allowing the model to be reviewed and updated in a reasonable amount of time.