Lee, I struggle with a lot of these details because the NEC is not a how to book. The requirements begins with article 110.2 Approval; requires that wire and equipment be approved. Article 100 defines Approved as being acceptable to the authority having jurisdiction. Typically the authority having jurisdiction accepts a professional engineers sealed report or a recognized testing agency, like UL or ETL, putting a safety mark on the item. Then the authority having jurisdiction just verifies it was properly used.
Here is an excerpt from a UL document, http://www.ul.com/global/eng/pages/corporate/contactus/faq/general/backgroun d/ "There are no laws specifying that a UL Mark must be used. However, in the United States there are many municipalities that have laws, codes or regulations which require a product to be tested by a nationally recognized testing laboratory before it can be sold in their area." Being sold also means being used. Another UL document http://www.ul.com/global/documents/corporate/aboutul/publications/newsletter s/electricalconnections/october08.pdf . So the UL requirements come from your state, county or city. I agree J1772 and all this is just a super safe connector system. I believe article 625 came about with the EV1 to make charging as safe and possibly difficult as possible. Look at the original J1772 fist size connectors. Personally I would not want to plug a 14-50 in while standing in the rain. I would not want to plug one in if there was a short on the vehicle side. I would not even consider putting one in a public space and allowing strangers use a 14-50 because of liability issues. On the J1772 side there is a double labyrinth of plastic between me and the pins, power is off until fully mated and the pilot signal is accepted, there is full GFI on the power. I would use one in the rain, pick one up out of a puddle shake it off and use it with no fear except for mud. David Kerzel Modular EV Power LLC -----Original Message----- From: ev-boun...@lists.evdl.org [mailto:ev-boun...@lists.evdl.org] On Behalf Of Lee Hart Sent: Sunday, August 11, 2013 2:24 PM To: Electric Vehicle Discussion List Subject: Re: [EVDL] EVLN: Comparing JuiceBox, OpenEVSE and EVSEUpgrade David Kerzel wrote: > NEC 625 requires level 2 EVSE to be hard wired. 625 is written to set > standards for designing a EVSE and for commercial units. The EVSE for > home use is something the consumer buys and gets a professional to install. > > Commercial EVSE units, assembled tested ready to go, must be UL listed > and installed per there instructions to comply with the NEC. David, I have a copy of California's 2010 NEC Article 625 (the latest I have access to). I cannot find anything in it that requires UL listing. All it says is "listed". Even then, it only specifies that various components (like the cord, or connector) be "listed" -- not the EVSE as a whole. "Listing" only means that an independent lab has tested the part or product, to verify that it actually meets standards. UL is only one of many independent labs. For San Jose to require "UL" testing is akin to requiring only GE light bulbs, or only Ford automobiles. In the entire NEC (1000+ pages), I cannot find one single instance of a UL requirement for anything. If San Jose really did mandate UL listing, it should be grounds for the other testing laboratories (ETL etc.) to sue them for restraint of trade! > When the UL listed EVSE plugs in to a receptacle it is outside of the > local electrical inspection in most places. That is the important point! The NEC does *not* have the right to regulate anything plugged into an AC receptacle. They can only regulate the wiring up to that receptacle. An EVSE is not a charger; it is just a glorified expensive AC receptacle. In the current situation, companies are fighting to monopolize EV charging with these receptacles. Many have tried this in the past, and failed. Their "standard" was abandoned, leaving any EV owner who relied on it for charging to be out of luck. That's why I think it is vital for EV owners to have a charging cord that plugs into a traditional *standard* AC receptacle (NEMA 5-15, 14-50 etc.) -- not a special one for EVs only. Luckily, this is nothing but a cord with a standard plug on one end, and the special J1772 (or whatever) on the other end. -- An engineer can do for a nickel what any damn fool can do for a dollar. -- Henry Ford -- Lee A. Hart, http://www.sunrise-ev.com/LeesEVs.htm _______________________________________________ UNSUBSCRIBE: http://www.evdl.org/help/index.html#usub http://lists.evdl.org/listinfo.cgi/ev-evdl.org For EV drag racing discussion, please use NEDRA (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/NEDRA) _______________________________________________ UNSUBSCRIBE: http://www.evdl.org/help/index.html#usub http://lists.evdl.org/listinfo.cgi/ev-evdl.org For EV drag racing discussion, please use NEDRA (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/NEDRA)
