Question:
Can an Arc Flash report (study) be carried out on a new manufactured switchboard equipment without the switchboard being connected to an electrical system, meaning, there is no power connected to the switchboard yet?
The switchboard is manufactured from this company that I am working with and the Customer that is buying this switchboard would like to have an Arc Flash report done as it is manufactured, but the switchboard will not be connected to any electrical systems yet, since the switchboard is for a maintenance purposes, in case the existing switchboard gets damaged and needs to be replaced with this new switchboard. The switchboard is really a spare unit for now.

Please provide comments/reply.
Thank you.

Vince Cimino
vince@arcoengineering.ca
Tel: 416-319-2140

Short answer, no. You don't perform a study on an individual piece of equipment.

Long answer, maybe if it was known for sure where in the system or what specific equipment and only that specific equipment it would replace is and there could be some guarantee that there would not be any changes to the distribution system between the time the study was done and the time the replacement switchboard was installed. That's not likely to happen. Also, unless the replacement board's breakers were exactly the same as the old board's breakers you are likely going to be changing incident energy downstream too.

Maybe both my short and long answers are "no".

you can refer back the NFPA 70E methods but you still need system information. The best you can get is line-side at the incomming lugs and as noted in the previous reply nothing downstream unless you are sure of the exact protection you are getting and all available settings.

My answer is POSSIBLY you can get partial info.