Legally Required Standby System 5ed5aa2d22a3e

National Electrical Code

The NEC and Legally Required Standby Systems

June 2, 2020

Art. 700 provides requirements for installation, operation, and maintenance of these systems.

Municipal, state, federal or other codes require, by law, systems to automatically supply power to certain loads if the normal power source fails (other than those classed as Emergency Systems, see Article 700). Any governmental agency having jurisdiction can also require a given facility to have such a system [701.2].

Article 701 of the National Electrical Code (NEC) provides the requirements for installation, operation, and maintenance of these systems. The requirements are similar to those for emergency systems. Some highlights include:

Specific testing and maintenance requirements must be met [701.3]. For example, it must be tested periodically on a schedule and in a manner approved by the AHJ.
The system must be able to support the entire designated load. A common strategy is the implementation of automatic selective load pickup and load shedding [701.4(C)].
Transfer equipment must be automatic. It must be listed and marked for legally required standby use [701.5(A)].
The circuits don’t have to be specially marked, but a sign must be placed at the service entrance indicating the type and location of each on-site legally required standby power source [701.7].

About the Author

Mark Lamendola

Mark is an expert in maintenance management, having racked up an impressive track record during his time working in the field. He also has extensive knowledge of, and practical expertise with, the National Electrical Code (NEC). Through his consulting business, he provides articles and training materials on electrical topics, specializing in making difficult subjects easy to understand and focusing on the practical aspects of electrical work.

Prior to starting his own business, Mark served as the Technical Editor on EC&M for six years, worked three years in nuclear maintenance, six years as a contract project engineer/project manager, three years as a systems engineer, and three years in plant maintenance management.

Mark earned an AAS degree from Rock Valley College, a BSEET from Columbia Pacific University, and an MBA from Lake Erie College. He’s also completed several related certifications over the years and even was formerly licensed as a Master Electrician. He is a Senior Member of the IEEE and past Chairman of the Kansas City Chapters of both the IEEE and the IEEE Computer Society. Mark also served as the program director for, a board member of, and webmaster of, the Midwest Chapter of the 7x24 Exchange. He has also held memberships with the following organizations: NETA, NFPA, International Association of Webmasters, and Institute of Certified Professional Managers.