Overview of the installation areas and the recommended els installation systems

Statements regarding the protection rating and UV resistance are often seen as the only criteria for outdoor installation. However, other factors such as temperature, frequency of temperature change, air humidity and particularly chemical influences also play a significant role for outdoor installations. In addition to the effects of UV, chemical influences can be expected to be the main source of damage for outdoor installations. From the outset, outdoor areas of filling stations, chemical works, waste disposal sites, compressors, sewage works etc, should be examined particularly carefully.

Important protection requirements:

• Live parts (AC voltages higher than 50 V and DC voltages higher than 120 V) must be enclosed or mounted behind covers which at least conform to protection rating IP2X.
• Horizontal upper surfaces of covers or enclosures that are easily accessible must at least conform to protection rating IP4X.
• Covers and enclosures must be securely fixed and have sufficient strength and durability to maintain the required protection class and sufficient distance from the live components under the conditions and external influences to be expected under normal operation. The covers must only be able to be removed using tools.

All „els“ products satisfy these requirements

Important protection requirements:

The following switchgear, controllers and installation devices are permitted in these areas:

• Bereich 0 - None.
• Bereich 1
• Junction boxes and terminal boxes for the supply of electrical consumers that are permitted in zones 0 and 1 per 701.55.
• Installation devices, including sockets for power circuits that are protected through low voltage by means of SELV1 or PELV2 with a nominal voltage that does not exceed 25 VAC or 60 VDC. The current source must be installed outside area 0 or 1.
• Bereich 2
• Installation devices, with the exception of sockets.
• Installation devices, including sockets for power circuits that are protected through low voltage by means of SELV1 or PELV2. The current source must be installed outside area 0 or 1.
• Shaver points per DIN EN 61558-2-5 (VDE 0570-2-5).
• Installation devices, including sockets for signalling and communications equipment assuming that such equipment is protected through low voltage
• by means of SELV1 or PELV2.
• Installation devices, with the exception of sockets.
• - Installation devices, including sockets for power circuits that are protected
• through low voltage by means of SELV1 or PELV2. The current source must
• be installed outside area 0 or 1.
• - Shaver points per DIN EN 61558-2-5 (VDE 0570-2-5).
• - Installation devices, including sockets for signalling and communications
• equipment assuming that such equipment is protected through low voltage
• by means of SELV1 or PELV2. 

Electrical equipment must have the following type of protection as a minimum:

• In area 0: IPX7
• In area 1: IPX4
• In area 2: IPX4

The requirements do not apply to shaver points per DIN EN 61558-2-5 (VDE 0570-2-5), that are installed in area 2 and that are unlikely to be hit by direct spray whilst showering.

Electrical equipment that is exposed to water jets, e.g. for cleaning purposes in public baths, must comply with protection type IPX5 as a minimum when installed in areas 1 and 2. Particularly suitable: Abox-i, AK, AKi and GTi housing systems.

1) SELV = Safety Extra Low Voltage

2) PELV = Protective Extra Low Voltage

Important protection requirements:

• When using SELV1, protection from direct contact must be ensured, regardless of the voltage level, though:

- Coverings or enclosures of protection type IP2X or IPXXB (protected against access by fingers) as a minimum, or

- Insulation that can withstand a test voltage of 500 VAC for a minimum of one minute.

• It is not permitted to install junction boxes in area 0. In area 1, only junction boxes for electrical circuits with protection through low voltage by means of SELV are permitted.
• Electrical equipment must comply with the following types of protection as a minimum:

Particularly suitable: Abox-i, the STV range as well as the AK, AKi, GTi, TK-PC and TG-PC housing systems.

Important protection requirements:

The following shut-off equipment should be provided in circuits, regardless of which systems,

depending on the type of earth connection:

• In end circuits with sockets, a fault-current circuit breaker (RCD1) with a trip current = 30 mA
• In all other circuits, excluding those that supply distributors, fault-current circuit breakers (RCD1) with a trip current = 300 mA.

Fault-current circuit breakers (RCD) with a trip current = 300 mA must be set up for fire protection. The fault-current circuit breakers (RCD) must disconnect all live conductors. In cases where improved maintenance of supply is required, these fault-current circuit breakers (RCD) must comply with design type S or disconnect with a time delay. I

n areas where there is a risk of fire, conductors for low-voltage circuits must either be supplied with covers or sheathing with protection rating IPXXD or IP4X or be supplied with sheathing made from insulating material in addition to their basic protection insulation. Particularly suitable: STV, Abox, Abox-i, the AK, AKi, GTi, TK-PC and TG-PC housing system.

RCD = Residual Current Device

Important protection requirements:

• In damp and wet areas and rooms, the electrical equipment must be protected from dripping water (protection type IPX1) as a minimum.
• In areas and rooms where water will be jetted and where electrical equipment will not normally be directly jetted for cleaning purposes, the equipment must be protected from splashed water (protection type IPX4) as a minimum. In areas and rooms where water will be jetted, electrical equipment that is directly exposed to the water stream must have a type of water protection appropriate to the type of water jet exposure or must have an additional protective measure that does not impair the operation of the equipment protected by it.
  
  Note: The scope of protection afforded by protection type IPX5 does not permit the cleaning of the equipment with pressurised water, e.g. spraying with a water hose or with high pressure cleaners.
• Metal parts exposed to corrosive vapours or mists must be protected against corrosion, e.g. through protective coatings or by using corrosion-proof materials.

Important protection requirements:

• In protected outdoor systems, the equipment must be protected from dripping water (protection type IPX1) as a minimum.
• In unprotected outdoor systems, the equipment must be protected from sprayed water (protection type IPX3) as a minimum.
• The requirements for protection through automatic shutoff of the power supply for
  - sockets in outdoor installations and
  - sockets intended for the occasional supply of outdoor portable equipment, are contained in DIN VDE 0100-470 (VDE 0100 part 470):1996-02, section 471.2.3.

Particularly suitable:
Abox-i, AK, AKi, GTi, STV/STG, TG-PC and TK-PC In unprotected outdoor areas: Abox XT

In addition, ventilation and/or drainage is essential!

Important protection requirements:

• In marinas, equipment erected at or above a landing stage, launching point, pier or pontoon must be selected in accordance with the external influences that may occur, as follows:
  - Splashed water (AD4): IPX4
  - Water jet (AD5): IPX5
  - Waves (AD6): IPX6
• Equipment that will be erected at or above a landing stage, launching point, pier or pontoon must be selected with a protection class of at least IP4X in order to prevent penetration by very small foreign objects (AE3).
• Equipment that will be erected at or above a landing stage, launching point, pier or pontoon must be suitable for exposure to corrosive atmospheres or contaminated substances (AF21). AF31 should be used if exposure to hydrocarbons is possible.
• Equipment that will be erected at or above a landing stage, launching point, pier or pontoon must be protected against mechanical stresses.(medium mechanical stresses AG2). The protection must be achieved through one or more of the following requirements:
  - The position or location of the equipment must be selected such that damage due to any reasonably foreseeable event is avoided
  - Provision of local or general mechanical protection
  - Equipment erected in compliance with a minimum protection against external mechanical stresses per IK07

Particularly suitable after the feed point: Abox, Abox-i, Abox XT, AK, AKi, GTi, TK-PC, TG-PC, STV, and the STG series.

Important protection requirements:

• The nominal supply voltage shall not exceed 230/400 VAC or 440 VDC.
• Regardless of the number of current sources for power supply, outer conductors and neutral conductors for the various current sources shall not be connected to one another after the feed point. The instructions from the DSO2 shall be complied with.
• All final circuits for lights, sockets up to 32 A rated current and portable equipment that is connected via flexible cable or wiring with a current load capacity up to 32 A, must be additionally protected with residual current devices (RCD3) with a rated fault current = 30 mA.
• Each separated electrical system and each distribution circuit that supplies an outdoor system, must be equipped with its own, easily accessible and correctly identifiable disconnection device.
• Switchgear and controllers shall only be installed in boxes that can be opened exclusively with keys or tools. Exceptions to this are parts that are intended to be operated by electrical lay-persons.
• Electrical equipment must comply with protection type IP44 as a minimum.
• Each electrical system must have its own easily-accessible device for disconnection and switching and to provide over-current protection.
• Housings that contain rectifiers and transformers must be reasonably ventilated and the openings must not be covered during operation.

Particularly suitable: Red range, Abox, Abox-i, RK, RKA, AK, AKi, GTi and the STV range.

DSO = Distribution System Operator
RCD = Residual Current Device

Important protection requirements:

• Wiring must be either permanently routed or routed in suitable hollow spaces. With permanent routing, the wiring must be equipped with suitable strain relief at the point of entry to the furnishing object. With routing in hollow spaces within the furnishing object, the wiring must be equipped with suitable pushing/strain relief at the point of entry to the furnishing object and at the equipment itself.
• Junction boxes and equipment boxes, installation distribution boards and similar devices or recessed installations must comply with the test requirements for cavity wall sockets per DIN 57606 / VDE 0606 and must be marked accordingly.
• Electrical installation devices for flush-mounting must not be fastened into cavity wall sockets with claws.
• Cavity wall sockets and cavity wall distribution boards must be installed such that they are protected from mechanical damage.
• Note: This can be done by means of installation in inaccessible cavities, in recesses or through additional mechanical protection, for example.

Particularly suitable: The cavity wall socket range

The peripherals for photovoltaic systems are generally installed outdoors. For this reason, the following important protection requirements apply:

• External influences that are to be expected such as wind, ice formation, temperature and solar radiation must be taken into account.
• The heat arising from direct solar radiation in photovoltaic systems must be reliably dissipated.
• All terminal boxes (PV generator terminal boxes and PV sub-array terminal boxes) must be equipped with a warning that active components in the terminal boxes may still be live after being separated from the PV inverter.
• The requirements for switching off the PV system for maintenance work are contained in VDE 0100-712, section 53.

Particularly suitable: RK-PV, AK, AKi, GTi,TK-PC and TG-PC