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Treatment of all matters in which the dominant factors are the design, construction, testing, safety, preparation of standards and guides, selection, application and integration of protective devices with auxiliary systems and equipment (such as shield wires, lightning masts, etc.) designed to prevent damage and/or outages to electrical power generation, transmission, distribution, utilization and communication systems, and associated equipment due to transient overvoltages, transient currents, temporary overvoltages and temporary fault currents. Excluded are interrupting devices with and without current-limiting ability. Included is treatment of the following:

• Overvoltage surge protective devices (such as surge arresters, surge protection devices, protective gaps, and surge protective capacitors).
• Neutral grounding devices (such as grounding reactors and grounding transformers - jointly with the Transformer Committee - resistors and combinations thereof).
• Lightning and switching surge investigations jointly with the Transmission and Distribution Committee.
• Promotion of studies, technical papers, and discussions on performance of devices, seeking new contributions on improved recommended practices, updating bibliographies, standards and guides.
• Matters relating to surge protective devices specifically designed for application covered by other technical committees of IEEE (such as Power System Communication Committee) or societies (such as Industry Applications Society and Communications Society), may be treated jointly if emphasis is on the particular requirements of the application.
• SPDs employed in generation, transmission, distribution and utilization of electrical energy including the effects of such device on the system’s operation.  
• Treatment of the techniques and needs for coordination within, between, and among SPDs and their environment, to the extent that these factors affect protection functions or performance. Environment includes such items as insulation coordination and the application of system neutral grounding devices.
• Sponsorship and development (either alone or jointly with other technical committees and/or organizations) of standards, recommended practices, guidelines and policies as well as preparation of position papers and/or documents, technical conferences and/or sessions on matters related items above.
• Liaison and cooperation with other technical committees, societies, subcommittees and associations concerned with various aspects of items above.

​Reproduced from the IEEE PES SPDC  Operations Manual (effective 2012-02-07)

Electrical events, such as lightning, can couple into metallic conductors and cause damage from the excessive system voltages and currents (surges) generated. SPDs are used to mitigate these coupled surges in both High Voltage (HV) and Low Voltage (LV) power systems and ICT (Information & Communication Technology) systems. To provide mitigation, SPDs use functional elements that are linear or non-linear or combinations of both. Typically an SPD has a non-linear voltage-current characteristic that reduces voltages exceeding the normal safe system levels by a rapid increase in conducted current. Such SPDs are also called voltage limiters or overvoltage protectors or (surge) arresters.

The SPDC is a technical committee of the IEEE Power & Energy Society (PES). It is the Working Groups (WGs) of the High Voltage and Low Voltage SPDC Subcommittees (SCs) that create and maintain SPD related IEEE Standards, Guides and Practice documents. These document catagories can be further subdivided by Device or Component type:

• Arresters, High Voltage (>1000 V rms)
• Neutral Grounding Devices, High Voltage (>1000 V rms)
• AC Power Surge Protective Devices, Low Voltage (<1000 V rms)
• Communications (Signal) Surge Protective Devices, Low Voltage (<1000 V rms)
• Surge Protective Components, Low Voltage (<1000 V rms)

Currently active SPDC publications are listed in the Publications area. SPDC documents being revised or created are listed in the Projects area.

This  Drupal powered Web site has two areas; an "open" area, visible to all and Internet search engine accessible, and a "private" area, accessed by authorised SPDC participants by user login. The "private" area is mainly used for standards development. For security reasons the Web site "Search" function is only available to authorised SPDC participants.

To receive SPDC news updates by e-mail, subscribe to the SPDC Newsletter.

The SPDC holds two meetings a year, one in the Spring and the other in the Fall. During each meeting there will be sessions of the Main Committee (plenary), Sub-Committees and Working Groups. Dates of upcoming SPDC meeting dates and venues are posted on the SPDC Web sites. For this Web site meeting dates and venues are posted in the Meetings area. Closer to the meeting date, a meeting notice, hotel booking details, meeting registration charges and schedule will be posted on the Web site. Agendas for each group meeting are issued by their respective group.

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We welcome your suggestions and comments on content. Please contact our web site author.

WARNING: The site content is of a general nature only and is not intended to address the specific circumstances of any particular individual or entity; nor be necessarily comprehensive, complete, accurate or up to date; nor represent professional or legal advice.

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About us: SPDC Organization and Operation in terms of

• Procedural Documents
• Sub-Committee Scopes
• Working Group Scopes
• Member awards & tributes
• Participation
• Contact Details

Standards: Completed and in Development, in terms of

• Published standards
• SPDC published terms & definitions
• Development projects
• Contribution Files for development projects (has public and private areas)

Meetings & News: Meeting announcements, schedules, registration and hotel booking details. Past event materials are:

• SPDC Newsletter: subscription, current and archived issues
• Admin. Log: Reports Web site maintenance, introductions and strategies
• SPDC Plenary minutes
• Galleries: Pictures taken at SPDC meetings

Forums: Discussion topic areas are:

• General
• Administrative and Standards
• Bibliography and Definitions
• Surge Protective Devices
• Web and Electronic Documentation
• IEEE Standards Association

E-learning:

• Links to other relevant Websites
• Tutorials
• Lectures

Login/Logout: In addition it has account modification, creation and password recovery facilities

The companies listed below sponsored certain SPDC meeting facilities by donations.

Spring 2016

Thomas & Betts Power Solutions Thomas & Betts Corporation, a member of the ABB Group, is a global leader in the design, manufacture and marketing of essential components used to manage the connection, distribution, transmission and reliability of electrical power in utility, industrial, commercial, and residential applications. T&B Power Solutions, a subsidiary of the ABB group, is located in Richmond, Virginia. Power Solutions manufactures Current Technology and Joslyn surge protective devices. National Electrical Manufacturers Association As the voice for the electrical and medical imaging industries, NEMA is a pacesetting champion for safety, innovation, interoperability, environment, and market  enhancement through advocacy, business information, and technical standards for products, systems, and technologies. NEMA’s Low Voltage Surge Protective Devices (SPD) Section is dedicated to the education and support of the benefits and proper application of surge protection to all users of for low voltage electrical equipment. Section activities focus on low-voltage power, control and communications systems: For surge suppression on circuits rated 1000 Vac (RMS) and below. For surge suppression on circuits rated 1500 Vdc and below. These devices include components, modules, assemblies, or hybrid circuits comprised of active or passive elements (linear or non-linear) or any combination of these elements, packaged to divert, clamp, filter or in any other way limit surge voltages.

Spring 2015

Misao Kobayashi made a personal donation  to the SPDC meeting facilities He was the designer of the World’s first High Voltage MOV Arrester 1950 – 1954 Denki Engineering (Power),                    Tokyo Institute of Technology 1954 - 1996 Meidensha Corporation,              becoming chief engineer in 1988 1996 - Present Surge protection KK consulting

Siemens Energy Management products, solutions, and services contribute to the development of a high-performing and sustainable energy infrastructure. With technologies and innovations that address the industry’s needs from  planning new transmission and distribution networks to instantaneously addressing outages, Siemens Energy Management is the only partner in the industry that can move power from generation to consumption. From large-scale utility to independent municipality or co-op network, Siemens is the partner for creating a more powerful world.

SSI is focused on raising the standards for the Surge Protective Device industry while our team's shared positive ethical values, honesty and integrity ensures each of our clients' needs are met with only superior products, unsurpassed service and support, and in-depth technical expertise in both SPD and power quality services.

Fall 2014

SSI is focused on raising the standards for the Surge Protective Device industry while our team's shared positive ethical values, honesty and integrity ensures each of our clients' needs are met with only superior products, unsurpassed service and support, and in-depth technical expertise in both SPD and power quality services.

Thomas & Betts Power Solutions Thomas & Betts Corporation, a member of the ABB Group, is a global leader in the design, manufacture and marketing of essential components used to manage the connection, distribution, transmission and reliability of electrical power in utility, industrial, commercial, and residential applications. T&B Power Solutions, a subsidiary of the ABB group, is located in Richmond, Virginia. Power Solutions manufactures Current Technology and Joslyn surge protective devices.