NFPA 70: National Electrical Code (NEC), 2020 Edition

The revised and expanded 2020 edition of NFPA 70, National Electrical Code, features state-of-the-art information for safe electrical practices for public and private buildings, homes and structures, outdoor yards and lots, utility equipment, installations that connect to the power grid, and consumer-owned power generation systems and equipment.

Content has been added, edited, and reorganized to address safety for workers, energy systems and electric vehicles, limited energy, and communication systems.

Impactful changes include:

• New requirements for exterior emergency disconnects of one- and two-family dwellings for improved electrical safety for emergency responders
• Revisions to service disconnect rules to help protect electrical workers from arc flash hazards
• Adapted and adjusted requirements for installation practices of new technologies to meet the evolving demand of power over Ethernet
• Updates to modernize tables currently in use for calculations to reflect improvements in energy efficiency and align with evolving codes
• Revised requirements for ground-fault protection within marinas and boatyards
• Introduction of guidelines for the safe use of electric vehicles (electric vehicle power export equipment) as a backup or emergency power source for a building or a home
• Reorganization of Article 310, including new user-friendly numbering for important ampacity tables, and new definition for cable bundle in Article 725, and more!

The NEC, 2020 edition, introduces significant new requirements for:

• The residential installation of receptacle outlets serving island and peninsular countertops and for surge protection of services supplying dwelling units
• Working space for “housekeeping pads” for electrical equipment, the installation of wiring methods in exit enclosures, sizing supply and load conductors used with adjustable-speed drive systems, and AFCI protection of branch circuits in patient sleeping areas in care facilities
• Calculating the load of electric vehicle supply equipment with variable current settings
• Worker safety in identifying the source of power for disconnecting means and for egress from spaces containing large electrical equipment
• Grounding of disconnecting means installed on the supply-side of service disconnecting means
• Cables installed exposed on ceiling surfaces and sidewalls
• Special occupancies, special equipment, and special conditions, including installation of splash pads, the use of “Type P” cables in hazardous classified locations, and the reinspection of swimming pools and other bodies of water