In AC circuits with ground-fault protection of equipment, the output of interconnected power production equipment must be connected to which side of the ground fault protection equipment?

In AC circuits with ground-fault protection of equipment, the output of interconnected power production equipment must be connected to which side of the ground fault protection equipment?

• A. Input
• B. Output
• C. Protected circuits
• D. None of these

Answer: (B)

Ground-fault protection of equipment is designed to monitor and protect the circuits that are on the protected side of the device. The protective device must be in series with the circuits it is meant to guard so that any ground fault current flowing in those circuits passes through the protection element and triggers a trip. Putting the output of interconnected power production equipment on the protected side ensures that any fault within that equipment or on its output path creates an imbalance that the protector detects, causing a fast disconnection for safety. If the equipment were connected on the input (source) side, faults could occur outside the protected circuits and the GFPE wouldn’t sense them, defeating the purpose of the protection. So, the interconnected equipment’s output should be connected to the output side—the protected circuits—of the ground-fault protection equipment.

Ground-fault protection of equipment is designed to monitor and protect the circuits that are on the protected side of the device. The protective device must be in series with the circuits it is meant to guard so that any ground fault current flowing in those circuits passes through the protection element and triggers a trip.

Putting the output of interconnected power production equipment on the protected side ensures that any fault within that equipment or on its output path creates an imbalance that the protector detects, causing a fast disconnection for safety. If the equipment were connected on the input (source) side, faults could occur outside the protected circuits and the GFPE wouldn’t sense them, defeating the purpose of the protection.

So, the interconnected equipment’s output should be connected to the output side—the protected circuits—of the ground-fault protection equipment.