LARGE OFFICE BUILDING OR COMPLEX

design guide

UNIVE
RSAL
Design
Jon Enginee
Craine ring P
R
I
O
R
I
T
Y

S O L I D

UNIVE
RSAL
Design
Jon Engine
Crain
e
ering P
R
I
O
R
I
T
Y

Ideally, every electrical

panel should be surge
In today‘s electronic world, electrical systems for the home
or business just aren’t complete unless they incorporate
surge protection. The most effective way to defend and
protected. However, this safeguard this environment against damaging surges is by
may not be practical or hardwiring surge protective devices (SPDs) throughout the
electrical distribution system.
feasible. Proven surge
protection practices do not Government studies suggest that the most efficient way to
surge protect an electrical system is by applying hardwired
have to be complicated or
surge protective devices at the main incoming electrical and
costly. All you need to do is communications services. Additional hardwired suppressors
address the following: were recommended to prevent backfed surges that could
bypass the primary electrical service SPD. Also, localized
equipment SPDs are recommended to protect against
1- Where should hardwired residual and internally generated surges.

SPDs be installed on the Following these practices, 5 common SPD electrical systems
installation points can be identified. Applying surge
electrical system? protection at these points will maximize a facility’s surge
immunity. These locations can easily be remembered by
using the following acronym, “The best surge protection
2- What size and type SPD installation is a S.O.L.I.D. one.” Where S.O.L.I.D. stands for the
should be used? following:

Service Entrance
Outside loads powered from distribution panels
Lower voltage distribution panels
Individual critical equipment
Data, telephone, and coaxial cables

The following example applies S.O.L.I.D. SPD protection to a

Large Office Building or Complex‘s electrical system. Listed
to the side are SPDs with appropriately sized redundancies
that we have found over the years to provide years of
uninterrupted protection.
 Surge Protecting a LARGE OFFICE APT SOLID Solutions
BUILDING OR COMPLEX
APT design guide

S ervice entrance O utside loads L ower voltage panels I ndividualequipment D ata lines
External SPD External SPD External SPD External SPD External SPD

teXAS30E1 teXAS20E1       teXCS104X S50A S50A

Increased Redundancy Increased Redundancy Increased Redundancy Increased Redundancy
teXAS45E1 teXAS30E1 teXDS154X teXCS104X

External - 10 Mode External - 10 Mode External - 10 Mode

teXAL30E1 teXAL30E1 teXAL15E1 APT DIN RAIL

Increased Redundancy Increased Redundancy Increased Redundancy
teXAL45E1 teXAL30E1 teXAL30E1

Service Entrance Outside Loads Lower Voltage Panels

Applying surge protection at the incoming SPDs should be installed at distribution If the facility is supplied with a higher system
electrical service “Stops Surges Before panels feeding roof top air conditioning, voltage (i.e. a 277/480V service), 120V panels
They Get In.” These types of surges parking lot lights, etc. to prevent back need SPDs to condition residual surges leaving
contain the largest surge energy feeding surges entering the main building. the service entrance SPD as well as any
warranting 300 kA or more of surge internally generated surges. Examples could be
current redundancy. panels powering data centers, offices and
retail, or any other panels powering sensitive
electronic-rich locations.

UNIV
ERSA
Desi
L
gn
Jon Engineering
Cra ine P
R
I
O
R
I
T

Advanced Protection
Y

Technologies
14550 58th Street North
Clearwater, Florida 33760
Individual Equipment Data Lines 727.535.6339
Even if surge protection is applied at the Security, fire alarm, and telephone systems fax: 727.539.8995
previous locations, redundant protection using copper communications lines need 800.237.4567
maybe warranted for sensitive, costly protection especially for communication wwww.apttvss.com
equipment. This may include elevators, circuits and circuits connected to rooftop info@apttvss.com
data centers, chillers, etc. equipment.

RevB 8.3.10.jb