Electrotechnical regulation for low voltage (Spain)
The purpose of the Electrotechnical Regulation for Low Voltage of Spain (also known by its acronym REBT) is to establish the framework of technical conditions and guarantees that installations must meet connected to a supply source within low voltage limits, in order to preserve the safety of people and property, ensure the normal operation of said facilities and prevent disturbances in other facilities and services, and contribute to reliability technical and economic efficiency of the facilities. The complementary technical instructions develop specific aspects of it.
According to this regulation in Spain, low voltage is considered to be that which is less than or equal to 1000 volts in alternating current or 1500 volts in the case of direct current.
Legal framework
The current Regulation (which replaces the 1973 Regulation) was approved according to Royal Decree 842/2002 of August 2, 2002 and published in the Official State Gazette number 224 on September 18, 2002.
Royal Decree 1053/2014, of December 12, approves a new Complementary Technical Instruction (ITC), the ITC-BT-52: "Installations for special purposes. Infrastructure for charging electric vehicles", and modifies other complementary technical instructions of the REBT.
The latest edition has been modified on April 10, 2019. The download can be done on the official website of the BOE.
Structure of the regulation
The new regulation (of 2002) maintains the structure of the old one (of 1973) and is made up of two parts. The first is 29 articles that address the legal and administrative issues of the facilities. The second part focuses on the technical aspects of the facilities included in 52 complementary technical instructions (ITC). The ITCs are structured in a tree-like manner (except the first ones, which are the glossary of terms, the UNE standards references and the requirements of authorized installers), with the trunk of the tree being the origin of the installation and the branches each type of receiver. capable of being connected to it. In addition, there are a series of ITCs that give additional prescriptions for specific uses or places with special characteristics: homes, places with public attendance, humid and wet places, etc.
Regarding REBT-73, the current regulation corrects the following deficiencies:
- It collects administrative management and competencies of autonomy (entities that did not exist in 1973).
- A single document merges all the compulsive rules of BT facilities. Previously there was the REBT-73 and the UNE-EN 20460 standard "Electrical Instalations in Buildings", both of which were forced to comply with the latter being a harmonized and therefore binding standard for the Member States of the European Union.
- The content of the Regulations is updated due to technological progress in facilities and above all to the increase in household electrification levels.
- In order to keep the REBT-2002 updated, it makes constant reference to UNE standards that are constantly reviewed, and if they are renewed they are automatically compulsive. The concept of "equal security" is also introduced for those cases that are not contemplated in the rules or in the REBT itself.
- Frequent error is to continue to apply the UNE 20460-5-5 standard of 23 November 1994, rather than the version of this same UNE standard but 2004. The error is that the REBT 2002 is still edited with the UNE standard table in 1994. The REBT refers to this UNE when using this table in its ITC-BT-19.
Sanctions
Violations of the provisions of the regulation will be classified and penalized in accordance with the provisions of Title V of the Industry Law (Industry Law 21/1992).
List of Complementary Technical Instructions
The electrotechnical regulation for low voltage contains the following Complementary Technical Instructions (ITC):
| Complementary technical instruction | Title |
|---|---|
| ITC-BT-01 | Terminology |
| ITC-BT-02 | Standards of reference in the Low Voltage Electrotechnic Regulation |
| ITC-BT-03 | Companies installed in low voltage |
| ITC-BT-04 | Documentation and commissioning of facilities |
| ITC-BT-05 | Verifications and inspections |
| ITC-BT-06 | Air networks for low voltage distribution |
| ITC-BT-07 | Ground networks for low voltage distribution |
| ITC-BT-08 | Neutral and mass connection systems in power distribution networks |
| ITC-BT-09 | Outdoor lighting facilities |
| ITC-BT-10 | Provision of cargo for low voltage supplies |
| ITC-BT-11 | Power distribution networks. Acometidas |
| ITC-BT-12 | Link facilities. You know what? |
| ITC-BT-13 | Link facilities. General protective funds |
| ITC-BT-14 | Link facilities. General power supply |
| ITC-BT-15 | Link facilities. Individual referrals |
| ITC-BT-16 | Link facilities. Accountants: location and installation systems |
| ITC-BT-17 | Link facilities. General and individual control and protection devices. Power Control Switch |
| ITC-BT-18 | Grounding facilities |
| ITC-BT-19 | Inner or receiver installations. General requirements |
| ITC-BT-20 | Inner or receiver installations. Installation systems |
| ITC-BT-21 | Inner or receiver installations. Protective tubes and channels |
| ITC-BT-22 | Inner or receiver installations. Protection against over-intensities |
| ITC-BT-23 | Inner or receiver installations. Protection against overvoltage |
| ITC-BT-24 | Inner or receiver installations. Protection against direct and indirect contacts |
| ITC-BT-25 | Interior installations in houses. Number of circuits and features |
| ITC-BT-26 | Interior installations in houses. General installation requirements |
| ITC-BT-27 | Interior installations in houses. Premises containing a bathtub or shower |
| ITC-BT-28 | Facilities in public accommodation |
| ITC-BT-29 | Specific requirements for electrical installations of premises with fire or explosion risk |
| ITC-BT-30 | Facilities in special facilities |
| ITC-BT-31 | Special-purpose facilities. Pools and fountains |
| ITC-BT-32 | Special-purpose facilities. Lifting and transport machines |
| ITC-BT-33 | Special-purpose facilities. Temporary and temporary installations |
| ITC-BT-34 | Special-purpose facilities. Fairs and stands |
| ITC-BT-35 | Special-purpose facilities. Agricultural and horticultural establishments |
| ITC-BT-36 | Very low voltage facilities |
| ITC-BT-37 | Special tension facilities |
| ITC-BT-38 | Special-purpose facilities. Specific requirements for electrical installation in operating rooms and operating rooms |
| ITC-BT-39 | Special-purpose facilities. Electric fences for livestock |
| ITC-BT-40 | Low voltage generator facilities |
| ITC-BT-41 | Electrical installations in caravans and caravan parks |
| ITC-BT-42 | Electrical installations in ports and marinas for recreational ships |
| ITC-BT-43 | Installation of receptors. General requirements |
| ITC-BT-44 | Installation of receptors. Receivers for lighting |
| ITC-BT-45 | Installation of receptors. Chaldean fittings |
| ITC-BT-46 | Installation of receptors. Radiant cables and folios in housing |
| ITC-BT-47 | Installation of receptors. Motors |
| ITC-BT-48 | Installation of receptors. Transformers and autotransformers. Reactments and rectifiers. Condemns |
| ITC-BT-49 | Electrical installations in furniture |
| ITC-BT-50 | Electrical facilities in premises containing sauna radiators |
| ITC-BT-51 | Automation systems installations, technical energy management and security for housing and buildings |
| ITC-BT-52 | Special-purpose facilities. Infrastructure for recharge of electric vehicles |
Electrical protection
Electrical protection is a useful device to protect electrical installations when the usual operation has been altered or there are faults in the connection, being in charge of discontinuing the energy in said abnormal circumstances of the operation of the installations. Devices can be classified according to their protective function, such as against overload, short circuit, insulation fault, indirect contact, overvoltage, undervoltage or undervoltage, and high voltage discharge. They are also differentiated, according to the manufacturing technology in [electromechanical, electromagnetic, electronic and consumables (which are consumed in their use).
Infrastructure for charging electric vehicles
Royal Decree 1053/2014, of December 12, approves a new Complementary Technical Instruction (ITC) BT 52 "Installations for special purposes. Infrastructure for recharging electric vehicles", of the Electrotechnical Regulation for low voltage.
In newly built buildings or parking lots, the specific electrical installation for recharging electric vehicles must be included, executed in accordance with the provisions of the aforementioned (ITC) BT-52, with the following minimum provisions:
- In car parks or collective parkings in horizontally owned regimen buildings, a main driving must be carried out through communal areas (through tubes, channels, trays, etc.), so that the realization of referrals to recharge stations located in the parking spaces is made possible. of private fleets, cooperatives or companies, or office fleets, for their own staff or associates, or municipal tanks of vehicles, the facilities necessary to supply a recharge station for every 40 places.
- In permanent public parking or parking, the facilities necessary to supply a recharge station for every 40 places.
On public roads, the necessary installations must be made to supply the recharging stations located in the spaces for electric vehicles that are provided for in the supra-municipal or municipal Sustainable Mobility Plans.
Industrial Safety of the Ministry of Industry, Energy and Tourism will prepare and update a non-binding Technical Guide for the practical application of the ITC.
There are various technical regulations that are usually applied to charging infrastructure:
- UNE 0048: Electric vehicle recharge infrastructure. General feeding line protection system (SPL). Its purpose is to protect, according to the REBT, the general power line against overloads.
- UNE 62196 Bases, plugs, vehicle couplings and vehicle inputs. Conductive charging of electric vehicles:
- UNE 62196-1 'Bases, claws, vehicle couplings and vehicle inputs. Conductive charge of electric vehicles. Part 1: Electric vehicle load up to 250 A in alternating current and 400 A in continuous current.
- UNE 62196-2 Bases, plugs, vehicle couplings and vehicle inputs. Conductive charge of electric vehicles. Part 2: dimensional compatibility and interchangeability requirements for spike accessories and alveoli in alternating current.
- UNE 61851 Charging System for Electric Vehicles:
- UNE 61851 1 'Reduction system for electric vehicles. Part 1: General requirements'. December 2002.
- UNE 61851-21 'Reduction system for electric vehicles. Part 21: Requirements of the electric vehicle for driver connection in c.a./c.c.'. December 2002.
- UNE 61851-22 'Reduction system for electric vehicles. Part 22: Charging station in c.a. for electric vehicles'. December 2002.
- UNE 20324/1M:2000 'Levels of protection provided by the envelopes (IP Code).
- UNE-EN 61000 'Electronic compatibility (CEM)' of application.
Electrical inspection
The facilities that have required a project will be subject to inspection. Inspections will be carried out by an Authorized Control Body (OCA).
The Authorized Control Bodies (OCA) are established in article 15.1 of the Industry Law and are those natural or legal persons who have the capacity to act and have the technical, material and human resources and the necessary impartiality and independence, they can verify compliance with the safety conditions and requirements established in the safety regulations for products and facilities. For the purposes of compliance with the requirements of technical competence, impartiality and independence, the control body must comply with the provisions of the standard ISO 17000 that is applicable and obtain the corresponding prior accreditation by a national accreditation entity.
The OCAs establish a period, normally a maximum of six months, for them to correct anomalies.
If after six months they have not been corrected, this Agency issues a negative certificate and an administrative file is initiated in which the community of owners is required to repair the installation, and may finally be sanctioned by the Industry Law with fines of up to 90,000 euros, since failure to comply with safety regulations and inadequate upkeep and maintenance of the facilities can pose a danger to people and property.
Inspections may be initial (before commissioning of the facilities) and periodic.
Initial inspections
Once the installations, extensions or significant modifications have been completed, and prior to being documented before the competent Body of the Autonomous Community, the following installations will be subject to inspection:
- Industrial installations that require project, with an installed power exceeding 100 kW;
- Public Concurrence premises;
- Premises with fire or explosion, class I, except garages of less than 25 places;
- Wet premises with installed power over 25 kW;
- Pools with installed power over 10 kW;
- Operators and intervention rooms;
- Outdoor lighting installations with installed power over 5 kW.
Periodic inspections
All low-voltage electrical installations that required an initial inspection will be subject to periodic inspections every 5 years, and every 10 years, common installations in residential buildings with a total installed power of more than 100 kW. or from 24 supplies.
The Community of Madrid, on April 8, 2019 (B.O.C.M Num 83 page 12), extends the periodic inspections in residential buildings to more than 16 supplies.
Bulletin or CIE
Once the works have been completed and the verifications and initial inspection have been carried out, the installation company must issue an Electrical Installation Certificate (CIE), also known as a bulletin.