Summary
Philippine Electrical Code 2: 2020 Edition
Date of Publication: August 2, 2021
Date of Effectivity: August 17, 2021
Contents:
Chapter 1 – General: Introduction
Chapter 2 – Safety Rules for Installation and Maintenance of Electric Supply and Equipment
Chapter 3 – Safety Rules for the Installation and Maintenance of Overhead Electric Supply and
Communication Lines
Chapter 4 – Safety Rules for the Installation and Maintenance of Underground Electric Supply
and Communication Lines
Chapter 5 – Rules for the Installation and Maintenance of Electric Supply
Chapter 6 - Work Rules for the Operation of Electric Supply and Communication Lines and
Equipment
Appendix A – Basic Wind Speed on Various Wind Zones for the Philippines
Appendix B – RA 11361 Anti-Obstruction of Power Lines Act
Abstract:
Covers the basic safety rules to safeguard people during installation, operation, and
maintenance of electric supply and communication facilities.
PEC 2020 was based on the National Electrical Safety Code
Contents:
Chapter 1: Introduction
Chapter 2 – Chapter 4, everything is safety rules.
o Chapter 2: Generating Plants and Substation
o Chapter 3: Safety Rules on Overhead Lines
o Chapter 4: Underground
Chapter 5: Work Rules for the Operation of Electric Supply
Appendix A: Basic Wind Speed on Various Wind Zones in the Philippines
Appendix B: RA 11361 Anti-obstruction of Power Lines Act
Chapter 1: General_Introduction
Section 1: Purpose – this code is intended to provide a standard of safe practices for:
electric cooperatives, public and private utilities, utility commission, or other boards or
bodies
have control over safe practices employed in the design, installation, operation.
Maintenance of electric supply, communication, street and area lighting, signal or
railroad utility facilities
This code is not intended as design specification and instructional manual.
Section 2: Scope
A. Coverage - Installation on the supply side of the utility meter. Which includes:
Generation facilities
Substation
Electrical transmission and distribution of electricity
Power distribution systems
Communications
Street and area lighting
Traffic signals
Figure 1: Picture showing the service point, which indicates the edge of coverage of PEC 2.
Note: utility meter is not covered by PEC 2. It belongs to PEC 1.
B. Not covered:
Premises wiring beyond utility service point
Underground mine wiring
Installation in aircrafts, ships, and automotive equipment
Section 3: General Rules –
All electric supply, communication lines, and equipment shall be designed,
constructed, operated, and maintained to meet the minimum requirement of these
rules.
The utilities, authorized contractors, or other entities performing the design,
construction, operation, and maintenance tasks shall be responsible for meeting
applicable requirements.
Section 4: Application
A. New Installations and Extensions
The rules of this Code shall apply to new installations and extensions (except they may
be waived or modified by the administrative authority, which safety shall be provided in
other ways.
Exception 1: for safety reasons, the administrative authority my need to comply with
these rules.
Exception 2:
Chapter 1: pg 18 – 35
Chapter 3: pg 67 – 174
Chapter 3 Summary
Safety Rules for Installation and Maintenance of Overhead Electric Supply and Communication Lines
Section 1:
1. Purpose
- Safeguard persons during installation, operation, or maintenance of overhead supply and
communication lines
2. Scope
- Structural arrangements and extension of overhead electric supply and communication lines
into buildings
- Includes requirements for constructions:
o Spacing
o Clearances
o Strength
3. Application of Rules
Section 2: General Requirements
3.2.2: Induced Voltages
- Instead, it recommends cooperation between parties to manage voltage effects from nearby
facilities. Therefore, those planning new construction or modifications should give advance
notice to owners or operators of nearby facilities that could be impacted.
Section 3.2.3: Accessibility
3.2.4 Inspection and Tests of Lines and Equipment
1. When in Service
a. Initial Compliance with Rules
All lines and equipment must meet safety standards when put into operation.
b. Inspection
Conduct regular inspection based on past experiences. Can be done separately
or along other tasks
c. Tests
equipment shall undergo tests when necessary to identify maintenance needs
d. Inspection Records
Document any issues or defects found during tests/inspection until they are
fixed.
e. Correction
Series Issues - If a defect poses a danger to life or property. Must be
immediately fixed, disconnected, or isolated.
Other issues - less urgent defects should be scheduled for repair.
2. When Out of Service (hindi ginagamit)
a. Infrequently Used Lines – Must be inspected or tested before being put back into
service
b. Temporarily Out-of-Service Lines – Must be kept in a safe condition while not in use
c. Permanently Abandoned Lines – Should either be removed or kept in a safe state.
Section 3.2.5 Grounding of Circuits, Supporting Structures, and Equipment
1. Methods (Article 1.4)
a. Point of Connection of Grounding Conductor
i. DC System
1. 750 Volts and below
Connection is at supply stations only.
For 3-wire dc system, connection is at neutral
2. Over 750 Volts
Connection is both at supply and load stations
The connection is made to the neutral of the system.
The grounding electrodes may be external or remotely located.
ii. AC System
1. 750 Volts and below
For Wye-Connected Three-Phase (Four-Wire) & Single-Phase (Three-
Wire) Systems, the neutral conductor should be used for grounding.
Other Systems with lighting circuits (1, 2, or 3 phase), The grounding
should be connected to the common conductor that serves the lighting
circuits.
Three-Phase, Three-Wire Systems (Delta or Ungrounded Wye) Without
Lighting, Grounding can be connected to any circuit conductor or a
separately derived neutral.
General Rule for Grounding Connections:
Grounding must be done at the power source and at the line side of all
service equipment.
2. Over 750 volts
Nonshielded Conductors (Bare, Covered, or Insulated without
Shielding)
o The grounding connection must be made at the neutral of
the power source.
o Additional grounding along the neutral conductor is
optional.
Shielded Conductors
o Connection to Surge Arresters - The cable shielding must be
bonded (connected) to surge arrester grounding at points
where underground cables transition to overhead lines.
o Cables Without an Insulating Jacket - These cables must be
grounded at the source transformer’s neutral and at
termination points.
o Cables With an Insulating Jacket - Extra bonding is
recommended between the cable shield and system
ground. If continuous grounding is not possible (due to
electrolysis or sheath currents), the shielding and splice
enclosures must be insulated for the expected voltage.
Bonding transformers or reactors can replace direct
grounding at one end of the cable.
o Separate Grounding Conductor - If a separate grounding
wire is used for underground cables, it must be connected
to the source transformer and its accessories. This
conductor must be installed in the same burial path or
conduit as the main circuit conductors. If placed in a
magnetic (metallic) duct, it must be in the same duct as the
circuit conductors. Exception: If the circuit is installed in a
magnetic duct, the grounding conductor can be in a
different duct—only if both ends of the circuit duct are
bonded to the separate grounding conductor.
iii. Messenger Wires and Guys
Messenger wires are required to be connected on grounding conductors at
poles or structure at the following intervals:
1. If messenger wire can serve as a system grounding conducts, they must
be grounded at least 3 times/kilometer.
2. If they are not suitable for system grounding, they must have 5 ground
connections per kilometer.
Guys (Support Cables)
Grounded guy wires must be connected to one or more of the following:
1. A grounded metal support structure
2. An effective ground on a non-metallic support structure
3. A line conductor that is grounded at least 3 times/kilometer, in
addition to service ground conductors.
iv. Current in Grounding Conductors
Grounding connections should be arranged to prevent any unwanted current
flow under normal conditions. If such current is detected in a multi-grounded
system, one or more of the following actions should be taken:
1. Identify the source of the unwanted current and reduce it at its origin.
2. Remove one or more grounding connections.
3. Relocate grounding points.
4. Break the continuity between grounding connections.
5. With approval from the appropriate authority, implement other
effective measures to limit the current.
The system ground of the source transformer must remain intact.
A grounding conductor current is considered objectionable if it violates
regulations or if the system owner/operator deems it problematic. However,
temporary currents that occur during fault conditions and serve a protective
function are not considered objectionable.
Grounding conductors must be capable of handling expected fault currents
without overheating or causing excessive voltage buildup. Some current will
always be present in grounding conductors in an active AC electrical system.
v. Fences
Fences that require grounding must be designed to minimize the risk of electric
shock from touch, step, and transferred voltages, following industry standards
like IEEE Std 80-2000.
Grounding Requirements:
Fences must be grounded to either the enclosed equipment's grounding
system or a separate ground.
Grounding must be applied at both sides of gates and other openings.
Gates must be bonded to the grounding system using a conductor, jumper,
or the fence itself.
A buried bonding jumper should connect across gates or openings unless a
nonconductive fence section is used.
If barbed wire is installed above the fence, it must be bonded to the
grounding system.
Conductive fence posts must be connected to the grounding system using
appropriate connectors.
For nonconductive fence posts, bonding connections must be made to the
fence mesh and barbed wire at each grounding point.
b. Grounding Conductors and Means of Connection
c. Grounding Electrodes
d. Methods of Connection to Electrodes
e. Ground Resistance Requirements
f. Separation of Grounding Conductors
g. Additional Requirements for Grounding and Bonding of Communication Apparatus
B. Circuits
a. Common Neutral - A shared neutral conductor for both primary and secondary circuits
must be properly grounded.
b. Other Neutrals - All neutral conductors (primary, secondary, and service) must also be
properly grounded.
Exception: Circuits designed for ground-fault detection or impedance current-limiting
systems do not require this.
c. Other Conductors - Any non-neutral conductor that is intentionally grounded must be
properly grounded.
d. Surge Arresters - If a surge arrester relies on grounding to function, it must be effectively
grounded.
e. Use of Earth as Part of Circuit –
o Prohibited: The earth cannot be the only conductor in a circuit.
o Exception: In high-voltage direct current (HVDC) systems, one-pole operation is
allowed during emergencies or maintenance.
o Note: This rule does not apply if the HVDC system uses the sea as a return path.
C. Non-current-Carrying Parts
a. General
Metal structures like lamp posts, conduits, cable sheaths, equipment frames,
and metal switch handles must be grounded.
Exceptions:
If certain equipment parts are 2.45m or higher and are isolated or guarded,
they do not need grounding unless grounding has been the standard
practice in that area.
Specialized equipment like series capacitors may remain ungrounded but
must be identified as energized.
Equipment supporting only communication conductors does not need
grounding if it's not exposed to power conductors.
b. Anchor and Span Guys
o Anchor and span guys (supporting cables or structures) must be grounded.
o Exception: If insulators are installed in the guy wires, grounding is not required.
c. Span Wires for Luminaires & Traffic Signals
o Wires supporting lights or traffic signals must be grounded.
o Exception: If insulators are installed, grounding is not necessary.
d. Insulators in Anchor and Span Guys
o Placement of insulators should prevent accidental energization of guy wires near
the ground (within 2.45m).
o Insulators should avoid creating a conductive path between live parts and other
circuits.
o They must stay effective even if guy wires sag.
e. Span Wires for Trolley and Railroad Conductors
o Must have insulators between support points and conductors.
o Exceptions:
If mounted on wood poles supporting only railway or communication lines.
If the span wire is already effectively grounded.
If insulated feeder taps are used instead of span wires.Insulators must
prevent energized parts from dropping below 2.45m in case of wire failure.
d. Insulators for Galvanic Corrosion Prevention
o Insulators used only for corrosion prevention must be properly installed to ensure
effective grounding.
e. Multiple Messengers on the Same Structure
o Communication cable messengers exposed to power or lightning risks must be
bonded together at set intervals.
