Commissioning procedures

Special care must be taken during the check up and testing, to protect the persons from hazards and from
damaging goods and materials. Refer to NFC 15-100
The verification includes all the methods throughout, where the electrical system is checked as conform to the
selected norm. It includes a visual inspection and testing.
In the following 5 steps the system should be switched off and out of voltage.

1 – Visual inspection
Visual inspection is to ensure the quality of execution of the work.

Compliance criteria: presence and consistency of the data with the wiring diagram information.

Commissioning procedures 1
2 – Control
2.1 – Check the equipotential connections
This check verifies that all metal parts of the system are grounded via protective conductors. Action is tested
out of voltage.
Periodicity: at installation then once each year.

Tester: The tester should generate a minimum testing current of 0.2 A. the multimeter is not allowed.

Commissioning procedures 2
Measurement: the controls are carried out between the nearest point of the main equipotential bonding and,
successively, the different points of metal masses accessible:

 The metal masses (cabinets, window frames ...)

 The masses of the loads
 …

Compliance criteria: resistance equipotential connections must be less than 2 Ω.

2.2 – Control of absence of a short circuit

This control is to check the quality of execution of the wiring of the power section.
Periodicity: at the commissioning and whenever necessary.
Measurers: This control can be done with an ohmmeter or installation tester.
Measurement: the measurements are taken off the equipment.

Commissioning procedures 3
  Measure the resistance between the active power conductors.

 Measure the resistance of the primary and the secondary windings of the transformer.

Compliance criteria:

 For the power conductors: no resistance is < 400 kΩ.

 For the transformers windings: no resistance is < 2 Ω.

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2.3 – control of isolation resistance
This control is to check the condition of the electrical insulation of the structure.
Periodicity: at the commissioning and whenever necessary.
Measurers: This control can be done with an ohmmeter or installation tester.
Measurement: the measurements are taken equipment out of voltage.

 For the power circuits:

Between each active conductor Between each active conductor

and the PE conductor
 For the loads  For the transformers

 Between the control circuit and the power circuit

Compliance criteria: The isolation threshold is 1000 ohms per volt test voltage.
Minimal values of the testing voltages:

Minimal voltage of the circuit (V) Testing voltage DC (V) Insulation resistance (MΩ)

≤ 50 V 250 V ≥ 0.25

50 V < U ≤ 500 V 500 V ≥ 0.5

U > 500 V 1000 V ≥1

Commissioning procedures 5
2.4 – control of the earthing system
This control is to measure the resistance of the earth electrode of
the installation.
Periodicity: at the commissioning and then yearly.
Measurers: this control is carried out using a mega ohmmeter or an
installation tester.
Measurement: the measurement method depends on the accessibility to the earth system:

 When the earth connection is available, the measurement is made with an open earth link.

 When the earth connection is not available, a measurement of the impedance of the fault loop gives a
default value of the earthing electrodes. In this case, the installation must be switched on.

Compliance criteria: in IT and TT systems, when the earth electrodes are separated, the maximum value of
the earth-electrode-resistance is prescribed by the standard NFC 15-100.

Sensitivity of the RCD (mA) Maximum resistance (Ω)

30 1667
100 500
300 167
500 100

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2.5 – control of the residual current device RCD
This control is to check the proper functioning of the
protection devices by an automatic trip of the power feeder.
Periodicity: at the commissioning and then yearly.
Measurers: this control is carried out using a RCD tester or
an installation tester.

Measurement:

Compliance criteria: the device should trip in a time less than recommended by the standard and for a current
included between 50% and 100% of its sensitivity IΔn.

3 – Functional tests
The functional tests should be made by a qualified technician and under Voltage
Periodicity: at the commissioning and whenever necessary.

3.1 – phase sequence control

For 3 phases power supply, the phase sequence should be controlled.

Commissioning procedures 7
Measurers:

Measurement: The measurement is carried

out with connected power supply cable under
voltage but the system should be out of
voltage.
Compliance criteria: the phases should be in
order.

3.2 – No load test

This test is to put gradually the system under power by closing the departures in predefined order: feeder,
control, power.
Measurement: it is necessary to control or each departure, the voltage and the order of phases.

1- Measure the voltage upstream of the 2- Measure the voltage downstream of the
opened protection device. closed protection device.

Commissioning procedures 8
When the system is entirely under voltage, we must check that the different loads are working correctly.
Compliance criteria:
- Conformity of voltage
- correct functioning of the loads

3.3 – Load test

This test is when the system is working properly:
- Voltages at the end of line or at the load terminals
- The absorbed currents
- The harmonics
Measurers: multimeter

Current test Voltage test

Compliance criteria:
- The measured currents should be less than or equal to the rated current of the protection devices
- The drop voltage should be less than the maximum provided by the standards
- The harmonic level should be less than the specifications provided by the studies.

Commissioning procedures 9