Sergio of I-Gard Corporation

Grounding for Electrical Power Systems – Low Resistance and High Resistance System Design

Abstract : Impedance grounding systems, including high and low resistance-grounding methods, are critical to modern power system design, offering a balanced approach to safety, equipment protection, and operational continuity. Unlike solidly grounded or ungrounded systems, high resistance grounding (HRG) offers a balanced approach that supports fault detection and allows continued operation during the first ground fault, enabling planned maintenance and increased uptime. Impedance grounding limits ground fault current to a controlled level, reducing damage from arcing faults, minimizing transient overvoltage’s, and enabling continued system operation during single line-to-ground faults. This grounding method is particularly vital in applications with high operational continuity requirements, such as petrochemical, data centers, and process industries

Biography:

Sergio Panetta (Senior Member, IEEE) is currently the VP of Engineering with I-Gard Corporation. He has more than four decades of electrical engineering experience in switchgear design, commissioning and troubleshooting, and power system protection, and he continues to actively increase awareness on Electrical Safety on a global front. He is the author and owner of several U.S. Patents related to electrical safety. He was the recipient of the Consulting Engineering status with the PEO professional body. He is a member of several industry working groups, such as P1584, P1814, P3003.1, P3003.2, TC64, and TC14. He is actively dealing with electrical safety and best practices including CSA, IEEE, IEC, and UL. He is the Member of the IET.

Address:Mississauga, Ontario, Canada