Page 16 - IEC Insights Sept-Oct21
P. 16
FEATURE
Understanding Surge
Protective Devices
BY BRIANNE DEERWESTER,
ELECTRICAL SAFETY
FOUNDATION INTERNATIONAL
The Electrical Safety Transient voltage, more commonly cause of unplanned shutdowns. Newer
Foundation International called power surges, can be described equipment also seemed to be more
susceptible to power surges as the vast
as extremely fast overvoltage spikes
(ESFI) and National or disturbances of a power waveform majority of equipment failures due to
Electrical Manufacturers that can damage, degrade, or destroy power surges were reportedly in service
Association’s (NEMA) Low electronic equipment within any home, for less than five years.
commercial building, or industrial
Voltage Surge Protective facility. Power surges can reach
Devices Section (BI-VS) amplitudes of tens of thousands of SURVEY FINDINGS
volts and can be very damaging to
recently surveyed electrical equipment, so it is imperative The key findings of the survey provided
industrial and commercial to protect equipment with SPDs. These insights on the use, understanding, and
common misconceptions of SPDs. The
facility professionals devices should be installed in facilities overall sentiment of SPDs was positive
to protect against downtime, improve
in the U.S. to gauge system and data reliability, and reduce as downtime and equipment failure were
their understanding electrical failures. significantly or completely reduced in
the respondent’s facilities. A majority of
of power surges and respondents (72%) claimed to be either
surge protective devices SURVEY HIGHLIGHTS very or extremely familiar with power
surges, while only 8% were only slightly
(SPDs), also known as The respondent’s knowledge of power or not familiar. The most commonly
transient voltage surge surges and their mitigation provided cited causes of power surges were
suppressors (TVSS). The mixed results. While respondents switching of electrical loads, lightning,
were able to correctly identify the
faulty wiring and or connections, and
professionals included common causes of power surges, many damage to power lines.
facility managers, owners, misidentified the protection devices Respondents provided mixed answers
needed to mitigate the negative
building engineers, heads impacts of power surges. A majority when asked what a typical SPD
of maintenance, and other incorrectly believe most power surges can protect against. Although both
related occupations. originate outside of their facility. choices are correct, power surges
(24%) received the largest number of
The survey also uncovered that power responses, while motor starts and stops
surges were cited as the third leading or load switching (11%) received the
14 Insights Magazine | September/October 2021 | www.ieci.org
