The practice of powering, wiring and grounding electronic equipment has been and continues to be a confusing topic for commercial and industrial power system designers, electricians and facility maintenance personnel. As electronic loads continue to proliferate in industrial and commercial power systems, so do the problems relating to power quality. This concern frequently materializes after start-up, when electronic system operating problems begin to occur. Efforts to alleviate these problems have ranged from installing power conditioning equipment to applying “special” grounding techniques not found in conventional safe grounding practice. Grasping for conditioning equipment or "magic" grounding methods is unfortunately a common response. In some cases this approach leads to unsafe practices and violations of the NEC, without solving operating problems.

In response to this situation, the IEEE Standard 1100, also known as the Emerald Book provides an understanding of the fundamentals of powering and grounding electronic equipment. It also addresses the various types of problems that can arise when misapplications occur. First published in 1992, the Emerald Book "IEEE Recommended Practice for Power and Grounding Electronic Equipment" is now in it's third revision (Dec 2005) with completely updated materials for state of the art facilities and equipment. Thiscourse is intended to provide an understanding of the topics covered in the Emerald Book, focusing on recommended practices related to powering and grounding that provide improved equipment performance while fully complying with the National Electric Code. The instructors are nationally recognized PQ authorities with many years of experience in developing power quality standards and educating users on how to apply them correctly. The course covers:
· Definitions, Background, Codes and Standards References
· Fundamentals of Power Quality
· Equipment Performance in the Presence of Power Quality Variations
· Power Quality Metering and Monitoring Equipment.
· Site Surveys and Power Quality Audits
· Recommended Design and Installation Practices
· Recommended Practices for Grounding Telecommunication Systems to the Electric Power System
· Cost Effective Choices to Insure Optimal System Performance
· Practical Examples and Case Studies

Speaker: Vladimir Basch BG&E

Speaker: Douglas Dorr EPRI PEAC