Transformer Labeling Isolated Neutral vs. Grounded Neutral

[Iskur]

Brief synopsis. I have the misfortune of working for a municipally owned utility. Due to political favors etc. our engineering division does not require that supervisors have PEs or even Engineering degrees a GED and 7 years of experience in "management" will suffice. This is despite the state board saying that Engineering supervisors and managers do need to have PEs in electrical engineering.

Because of this incompetence a very political drafter has managed to usurp the division. The latest issue was that because the GIS labels transformers E/E1Y we need to start doing the same on all work sketches for all transformers. I objected because all of our 3 phase Y transformers are grounded Y E1Y/E. Naturally management sided with the toxic drafter. The baby was split and we got a statement that we will conform with ANSI standards but the label that for decades was considered the transformer voltage will now be considered the service voltage.

What I need to know is what is the potential harm if someone misreads a work sketch and assumes that a grounded Y distribution transformer is an isolated Y. So far I really cant find anything.

 

[Iskur]

So I've been looking at this more. The argument being made is that there isn't a safety issue because if we use E/E1Y and someone mistakes it for an isolated neutral there is really no safety concern. Even of that were correct I do not agree that we should ignore standards simply because we believe there is no possible harm. When other utilities, like the comm, have asked us to ignore standards because they think that there is no risk we tell them no.

That being said the safety issue I believe come is we constantly us E/E1Y to label all transformers to make life easier on your CPR "engineer" then what happens when it actually is an isolated neutral. I talked to dispatch and the distribution dispatcher said that on our system he has seen an isolated neutral used once for some oddball set of field circumstances and it was only temporary. In that single case is the risk.