19.6 Small Wind Systems, Fire Pumps & Electric Vehicle Charging (Articles 694, 695 & 625)
Key Takeaways
Fire pump OCPDs must be selected or set to carry indefinitely the sum of the locked-rotor currents of the fire pump and pressure maintenance motors plus the full-load current of the associated accessory equipment (Article 695).
Voltage at the fire pump controller line terminals may not drop more than 15% below normal when the motor starts, and voltage at the motor terminals may not drop more than 5% below the motor's rated voltage when running at 115% of full-load current (Article 695).
Each outlet installed to supply EVSE must be on an individual branch circuit with no other outlets, and EVSE is a continuous load sized at 125% (625.40 and 625.42).
Under the 2026 NEC 625.43(D), EVSE in other than one- and two-family dwellings needs an emergency shutoff readily accessible, within sight, and at least 20 ft but not more than 100 ft from the equipment.
Under the 2026 NEC 625.4, permanently installed electric vehicle power transfer equipment must be installed by qualified persons.
Small wind electric systems (Article 694)
Article 694 covers wind turbines of 100 kW or less that supply power to premises wiring, alone or with other sources.
| Rule | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Listing | Wind turbines and associated equipment, such as inverters and charge controllers, must be listed or field evaluated |
| Disconnecting means | A means to disconnect the turbine from all other conductors in the building, readily accessible, lockable, and marked; it may be the same as the inverter disconnect |
| Shutdown | A manual means to stop the turbine (and a readily accessible shutdown switch for emergencies), since an open circuit alone can let a turbine overspeed |
| Surge protection | A surge protective device between the wind electric system and the loads it serves |
| Towers | Metal towers and guy wires must be grounded and bonded; tower conductors must be in raceways or suitable cables and supported |
| Interconnection | Connection to other sources follows Article 705 |
Fire pumps (Article 695)
Fire pumps must keep running during a fire even if that damages the motor, so the usual protection rules are reversed.
Power sources and supervision
- Reliable source: a separate service, an on-site power production facility, a dedicated feeder from a separate source, or a combination of sources as required.
- Disconnecting means in the supply must be identified as suitable for service equipment, lockable in the closed position (or supervised), located sufficiently remote from other disconnects so inadvertent operation is unlikely, and marked "FIRE PUMP DISCONNECTING MEANS" in letters at least 1 in. high.
- Overcurrent protection: OCPDs must be selected or set to carry indefinitely the sum of the locked-rotor currents of the fire pump motor(s) and pressure maintenance pump motor(s), plus 100% of the associated fire pump accessory equipment.
- Meter sockets (230.68, 2026): a new exception lets the fire pump meter socket be sized to the circuit rating rather than the fire pump service current.
Conductors
| Rule | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Ampacity | At least 125% of the sum of the fire pump motor and pressure maintenance motor full-load currents, plus 100% of the accessory loads |
| Routing | Supply conductors run outside the building, or protected inside by encasement in at least 2 in. of concrete, a listed fire-resistive cable system, or a 2-hour fire-rated assembly. The 2026 NEC requires the 2 in. concrete encasement to also provide a 2-hour fire rating documented by a professional engineer, and adds a 5 in. concrete encasement option measured from the surface of the raceway or cable |
| Overload protection | Power circuits may not have automatic protection against overloads; the motor's protection is the controller's locked-rotor protection |
| GFPE | Ground-fault protection of equipment is not permitted for fire pumps (Article 695 and 230.95) |
| Fire pump wiring | Must be kept independent of all other wiring |
Voltage drop
- When the motor starts, the voltage at the fire pump controller line terminals may not drop more than 15% below normal.
- When the motor runs at 115% of full-load current, the voltage at the motor terminals may not drop more than 5% below the motor's rated voltage.
Electric vehicle power transfer systems (Article 625)
Branch circuits and loads
| Rule | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Individual branch circuit (625.40) | Each outlet installed for EVSE must be supplied by an individual branch circuit with no other outlets |
| Continuous load (625.41 and 625.42) | EVSE is a continuous load; the branch circuit and OCPD are sized at 125% of the maximum load; adjustable EVSE may be sized for its field-set rating, and a power control system may limit the load; the 2026 NEC clarifies that the service, feeder, and branch circuit must have a sufficient rating for the load served |
| Load calculation (120.57) | 7,200 W (VA) or the nameplate rating, whichever is larger |
| GFCI (625.54) | All receptacles installed for EV charging must be GFCI protected; the 2026 NEC adds GFCI and SPGFCI requirements for permanently wired equipment |
| Disconnecting means (625.43) | EVSE rated more than 60 A or more than 150 V to ground needs a disconnecting means installed in a readily accessible location, lockable open |
2026 NEC changes
- 625.4 Qualified persons: permanently installed EV power transfer system equipment, such as Level 2 chargers, must be installed by qualified persons. An Informational Note points to NECA 413.
- 625.5 Field markings: EVSE must have permanent field markings on the outside of the enclosure showing the supply voltage, number of phases, frequency, full-load current, and the short-circuit current rating, so the circuit sizing and fault rating can be checked before energizing.
- 625.43(D) Emergency shutoff: for other than one- and two-family dwellings, an emergency shutoff for EVSE must be readily accessible, located at least 20 ft and not more than 100 ft from the equipment and within sight of it, marked "EVSE EMERGENCY DISCONNECT" and "WARNING: ELECTRIC VEHICLES WILL REMAIN ENERGIZED," be manual reset, and open all phase conductors simultaneously. The equipment disconnect may serve if it meets these requirements.
- 625.44 Receptacles: cord-and-plug connected EVSE on 30 A, 50 A, or 60 A receptacles requires receptacles listed for EVSE use, because standard receptacles can overheat under long continuous loads.
- Article 624 (new): electric self-propelled vehicles that are not "electric vehicles," such as forklifts, golf carts, airport ground equipment, construction machinery, lawnmowers, and electric boats, are covered by new Article 624.
Worked example: a Level 2 charger in a garage
A homeowner installs a hard-wired 48 A EVSE in an attached garage at 240 V.
- Circuit: individual branch circuit, 125% of 48 A = 60 A; 6 AWG copper (65 A at 75°C) on a 60 A breaker.
- Disconnect: the EVSE is rated not more than 60 A and 150 V to ground, so 625.43 does not require a separate disconnecting means.
- Installer: a qualified person, under the 2026 NEC 625.4; in Minnesota, a licensed electrician or the homeowner under the owner exemption, with a permit.
- Load calculation: the EVSE nameplate is VA, which is larger than 7,200 VA, so the dwelling service calculation includes 11,520 VA (120.57).
How must the overcurrent protection for a fire pump motor be selected under Article 695?
To carry the motors' locked-rotor currents plus accessory loads indefinitely
At 125% of the motor full-load current
At 250% of the motor full-load current, like an inverse-time breaker
With GFPE set at 1200 A
What is the maximum voltage drop permitted at the fire pump controller line terminals when the motor starts?
5%
10%
20%
15%
Under the 2026 NEC 625.43(D), where must the emergency shutoff for EVSE at a public parking lot be located?
Within 10 ft of each charger
Inside the building's main electrical room, near the panel
20 ft to 100 ft from the equipment and within sight
No emergency shutoff is required
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