Policy
Enbridge Gas New Brunswick (EGNB) will permit the attachment of a natural gas-fired generator to its distribution system under the following conditions:
1. Identification of Intended Purpose
The intended purpose of any generator proposed to be connected to EGNB’s gas distribution system must first be identified as being for:
a. Life Safety purposes, or
b. Operational Backup or Customer Convenience purposes.
2. Identification Responsibility
It is the sole responsibility of the customer or their representative to correctly identify the purpose of the generator as noted above.
3. Prior EGNB Approval, Generators powering Life Safety equipment or systems
All generators powering one or more Life Safety purposes must:
a. be approved and accepted by EGNB’s Manager, Planning and Technical Services, and
b. comply with the requirements of the CAN/CSA B149.1-00 Natural Gas and Propane Installation Code and the CAN/CSA C282-05 Emergency Electrical Power Supply for Buildings codes:
CAN/CSA B149.1-00 5.25.1: Piping or tubing serving a generator that provides power for safety purposes shall be independent of any other gas supply to the building, and shall be provided with a manual shut off valve identified with a permanent sign. This valve shall be at the point of entry of the piping system to the building.
CAN/CSA B149.1-00 5.25.2: When a gas supply to a generator is required for safety purposes, the supply of gas to the generator shall be arranged such that the gas supply to the piping serving other appliances can be shut off without interrupting the gas supply to the generator. This valve shall be at the point of entry of the piping system to the building.
CSA C282-05 7.3.6 a): Where the emergency generator is supplied by an off-site utility natural gas supply, the following conditions shall be met:
i. have a manual valve identified by a permanent sign located at the point of entry of the piping system to the building and accessible only to authorized personnel;
ii. have a position-indicating contact that will initiate a trouble alarm condition at the generator control panel when the valve is closed;
CSA C282-05 7.3.6 b): the natural gas supply to the generator shall be arranged in such a manner that the natural gas supply serving other appliances can be shut off without interrupting the supply to the emergency generator.
4. Incremental Costs
All incremental costs incurred by EGNB in order to facilitate the customer satisfying the requirements of the noted codes and policy will be at the customer’s expense.
a. These incremental costs include, but are not necessarily limited to:
i. The provision of elevated delivery pressures (2 psig or 5 psig)
ii. Meter station piping design
iii. Standard signage
iv. Valve color coding
v. Reflective tape
vi. Positioning indicating valve
vii. Secured valves
b. The costs to be charged to the customer will be provided by Planning and Technical Services when approval for attachment of the Life Safety Generator is given.
5. Additional Installation Requirements, Life-Safety Generators
The following additional installation requirements shall be met for all emergency life safety generators:
a. Fuel Supply Configuration
i. In order to comply with the requirements of the CAN/CSA C-282-05 “Emergency Electrical Power Supply for Buildings”, the natural gas supply to an emergency generator must be arranged in such a manner that the natural gas supply serving other appliances can be shut off without interrupting the supply to the emergency generator.
ii. Generators supplying non-life safety equipment (only) loads do not require a specialized fuel supply configuration.
b. Signage
Two permanent, weatherproof and UV-stabilized signs bearing the words …
EMERGENCY GENERATOR
Do Not Shut Off
… shall be securely attached to the following locations on the meter set:
i. on the riser piping immediately above the service shut off valve (wing cock), and
ii. on the set piping immediately before the position indicating valve.
c. Valve Colour Coding
The Shut off Valve colours shall be as follows:
i. The service shut off valve (wing cock) shall be painted meter grey, and
ii. The outlet valve serving non-life safety appliances shall be painted red, and shall be the only valve painted red on sets serving Life Safety Generators.
d. Reflective Banding
A minimum of three (3) bands of weather-proof, industrial grade, reflective tape shall be:
i. 3 inches in width, and
ii. of alternating diagonal bands of yellow and black, and
iii. applied to the gas piping at the life safety generator’s position indicating valve immediately before the valve’s pipe flange (inlet), and on the valves’ body immediately after the inlet flange, and before the outlet flange.
e. Position Indicating Valve
i. A Position Indicating Valve must be installed on the dedicated outlet piping serving the Life Safety Generator that will initiate a trouble alarm condition at the generator control panel when the valve is closed.
ii. EGNB will supply and install (only), and at the customer’s expense, the Position Indicating Valve on the meter set when required,
iii. The customer shall be responsible to connect the Position Indicating Valve to the generator control panel in order to meet the requirements of the C282-05 code.
iv. The customer shall assume ownership of, and responsibility for, the condition, operation, maintenance and repair of the Position Indicating Valve immediately upon initial turn-on of the meter set, and thereafter.
f. Secured Valves
All valves on the meter set along the flow path from the service valve (wing cock) to the emergency generator supply-line shall be held in the open position by Anchor-locked valve positioning devices.
i. Such devices upstream of the outlet flange or fitting of the set shall be supplied, installed and maintained by EGNB.
ii. Such devices downstream of the outlet flange or fitting of the set shall be supplied, installed and maintained by the customer.
6. Continuance of Gas Supply
EGNB does not guarantee the continuance of uninterrupted of gas supply to natural gas fired generators regardless of intended purpose or application.
7. Field Approval Requirements
Natural Gas-fired generators sold for use in Canada typically do not bear any natural gas-specific approvals or certifications. Accordingly, any such natural gas-fired generator regardless of intended purpose or application must be field approved. The following approval requirements therefore must be followed:
a. Generators with inputs greater than1,000,000 Btuh (300kW)
i. Field approved by CSA must be obtained.
ii. It is the responsibility of the customer’s installing contractor to apply and pay for all costs relating to this approval.
b. Generators with inputs equal to or under 1,000,000 Btuh (300kW)
i. Field inspection by Technical Inspection Services must be completed to ensure compliance with the CAN/CSA B149.1, B149.2 and B149.3 codes.
ii. It is the responsibility of the customer’s installing contractor to apply and pay for all costs relating to this approval.
c. Generators of any input and with Programmable Logic Controllers used in conjunction with any of the generator’s safety devices
i. Field approved by CSA must be obtained.
ii. It is the responsibility of the customer’s installing contractor to apply and pay for all costs relating to this approval.
Appendix A: Identification of Life Safety Equipment
Per CSA C282–05, Life safety equipment is legally required equipment in non health care sector buildings that are at least seven stories (36 meters or greater), and which is provided to assist in the safe evacuation of occupants in the event of an emergency or power failure. Buildings lower than seven stories may opt to install an emergency generator. Life safety equipment is defined as:
a. Fire alarm and emergency voice communication systems,
b. Fire fighters’ elevators and elevators serving stories above the first storey in a building,
c. Fire protection water supply pumps that depend on electrical power supplied to the building,
d. Smoke control systems,
e. Fans required for smoke venting,
f. Emergency lighting; and
g. Exit signs that depend on electrical power supplied to the building
Appendix B: Typical Configuration, Meter Sets Serving Life Safety Generators
