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The presence of a strong and properly-maintained ISBP on site is as valuable as having a fire station adjacent to the property.
While not everyone can be next door to a fire station, everyone can obtain an ISBP.
The Integrated Systems Bonding Point (ISBP) balances all of the different potentials found on individual systems that are provided to a facility.
The NEC provides some guidance for intersystem bonding where more than one grounding electrode is installed for a facility.
This guidance can be located in the NEC, NFPA 70, Section 250-71.
Because different potentials exist, there must logically be current flow along the ISBP.
This "mandatory current flow" must be planned for and facilitated with superior wiring, bonding, grounding, and shielding.
To facilitate means to balance.
It also preserves the electrical system over time.
- The ideal ISBP will be planned and designed with newly constructed facilities.
- The ideal ISBP will be sited outside of the spaces occupied by people out of electrical and fire safety concerns.
- The ideal ISBP will be built in modules.
- The ideal ISBP will be supported by a variety of grounding electrodes in a multi-point GES.
- The ideal ISBP will be made to integrate all present systems and all present grounding electrode conductors.
- The ISBP must be installed in place before the GEC is run from the ESE to the GES.
- Once the GEC is passed through the ISBP and the appropriate systems are bonded or grounded through the ISBP, all other available positions for bonding jumpers should be used to bond between modules of the ISBP.
- Each module will have a bus bar to accept the GEC as it passes through.
The bus bar shall have tap holes sized for the GEC and for the incoming system ground or bonding jumper.
- One module will be dedicated to one system, and all modules will be adjacent to each other and in-line between the ESE and the GES.
- All modules should be wired and constructed alike.
- All modules should be labeled in like manner to show which system is sponsored.
- Modules should be bonded to each other and fastened together.
- Current flow across the ISBP demands access to free electrons.
Cathodic protection placed inside the ISPB would possibly satisfy this demand and prevent noticeable corrosion, as would filling up all available bonding positions with jumpers between modules.
- While the ISBP itself does not use isolated ground procedures, isolating each system ground or bonding jumper along its pathway from systems to the ISBP would be a good idea to reduce noise on individual systems.
- The ISBP must be built, or made, to outlast any single grounding electrode that serves the ESE.
- The ISBP must be made to protect and connect system grounds and bonding jumpers to the GEC.
- A superior ISBP module installation would be adjacent modules made in a larger enclosure, such as a panel box, with each module separately closed within the box.
The presence or absence of a grounding electrode does not change the requirements for an ideal ISBP.
While it is true that all grounding electrodes must be integrated, it is also true that systems without grounding electrodes must also be integrated into an ISBP.
Summary
The Integrated Systems Bonding Point (ISBP) provides superior wiring, bonding, grounding, and shielding in order to balance current flow coming across it.
Current flow is expected across the ISBP.
