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Electric Power Substation - Vegitation Clearing

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Jim1058

Electrical
May 5, 2003
1
I've been asked to design an addition to a 69kV substation. The area within the substation fence where the addition equipment will go is currently wooded. For political reasons the owner of the electric distribution system is reluctant annoy the local residents and so wants to keep as many trees within the substation fence. These 30-50 trees would be within 15 feet of a 69kV 54mvar capacitor bank.

Typical practice at all other station is to totally clear all vegitation within the fence and landscape around the exterior. Exterior trees are trimmed of any branches overhanging into the substation area.

I have been unable to find a standard that clearly states the vegitation within a station should be cleared. Is this such an intuitively good common sense practice that no one has seen the need to publish it? Any guidance to a standard that I could quote to prove my point would be appreciated.



 
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Hi Jim1058,

This sounds more like a building codes question - does the local municipality have no regulations regarding this? If not, maybe BOCA would be of some help.

HTH
Todd
 
You might also want to review the minimum NEC codes required for clearance in front and around the electrical equipment.

This would be at least the minimum you would need to clear.

Zuccus
 
By the way, do not forget that TREES GROW!

I think that you really, really, REALLY do not want ANY vegetation (and other things they attract, like birds and other wildlife) intentionally left within a fence boundary.

Who is going to trim the trees inside the yard? High voltage techie / arborists are rather hard to come by.
 
absolutely cut down those trees. Check the height of the trees. If the height is more than the distance (ie: the trees are taller than 15') then they should be removed.

Your owner should know better than this - it is an extreme safety hazard. I'm not sure you need a minimum NEC code to prove this... Provide an aesthetic pleasing fence and then screen it with plantings outside of the fence.
 
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