The 2020 National Electric Code includes requirement updates in four significant areas: surge protection, GFCI protection, firemen’s disconnect and solar power. To provide the best, safest work possible, be familiar with the official NEC codes in your state.
• All 125–250V receptacles within 6 feet of sinks
• Notable spaces include:
- Laundry areas
- Kitchens
- Unfinished basements
- Finished basements
- Outdoor outlets 150V to ground or less and up to 50amps
• Applies to:
- Ranges within 6 feet of sinks
- Electric dryers
- Dishwashers
- Sump pumps
- Pool motors
- Equipment that requires service, including HVAC and refrigeration units
• Notable spaces include:
- Indoor damp and wet locations
- Permanent fixtures for cooking
- Permanent provisions for food preparation
- Accessory buildings
• Applies to:
- Dishwashers
- Drinking fountains
- Sump pumps
- Pool motors
- Equipment that requires service, including HVAC and refrigeration units
• Required for all single- and two-family dwellings
• Must function from outside dwellings
• Must be readily accessible
• Applies to generators and energy storage systems (ESS)
• Generators must be marked with one of the following:
- EMERGENCY DISCONNECT, SERVICE DISCONNECT
- EMERGENCY DISCONNECT, METER DISCONNECT, NOT SERVICE EQUIPMENT
- EMERGENCY DISCONNECT, NOT SERVICE EQUIPMENT
• New article (242) includes service lines to dwelling units
• Must be part of service equipment or adjacent
• May be located at each level of downstream distribution
• Now applies to:
- Line side and load side services
- Replacements and service upgrades
• Solar panels on new construction*
• Outdoor disconnect required for all energy storage units
NEC 2020 includes several new articles. Surge protection article 242 is one among four.
NEC 2020 removes several articles present in NEC 2017 to improve clarity and limit redundancies.
Article 280 SPDs over 1,000V
Article 285 SPDs 1,000V or less
Article 328 MV Cable Type MV
Article 553 Floating Buildings
The National Fire Protection Agency publishes official updates to the National Electrical Code every three years. These updates have run uninterrupted since 1897, when the code was introduced. 2020 NEC is the result of more than 5,000 public inputs and comments, 18 panels, the annual NFPA meeting and more than 2,000 revisions².