ANSI/CAN/UL/ULC 2200, Third Edition Summary of Requirements

Overview

UL Solutions has created a summarized description of the new and revised requirements in American National Standard (ANSI)/Controller Area Network (CAN)/UL/ULC 2200, the Standard for Stationary Engine Generator Assemblies, published on Sept. 29, 2020, with an effective date of May 1, 2024. UL Solutions also included guidance on any necessary action to determine compliance.

This summary serves as a resource for the Standard’s users to determine a path to compliance with the new and revised requirements. 

Summary of requirements

The following summarizes the new and revised paragraphs in the ANSI/CAN/UL/ULC 2200 Standard. The third edition of ANSI/CAN/UL/ULC 2200 aligns requirements with the advancing technologies and immense demand for reliable power of which manufacturers and other key stakeholders should be aware.
 
There are two types of changes to the Standard. First, there are revised requirements to the Standard, detailing modified requirements. These revisions may happen for several reasons: to clarify the requirement, harmonize with another Standard or even change the requirement to match industry norms. 

The updated Standard also includes brand new requirements. These additions address hazards, concerns and possible new applications or features of stationary generators that previous editions did not identify.

• Scope: ANSI/CAN/UL/ULC 2200 serves as a bi-national Standard for both the U.S. and Canada. This harmonization effort streamlines requirements to a single set when applying for certification in the U.S. and Canada and facilitates compliance to both U.S. and Canadian applicable regulations.
• Safety analysis: Manufacturers should prepare to provide a safety risk assessment for their stationary generators as part of the certification process to ANSI/CAN/UL/ULC 2200.
• Control systems: Manufacturers will observe an additional emphasis on verifying the reliability of the safety controls during the stationary generator’s certification process.
• Software and functional safety: Manufacturers who utilize software or firmware in their controllers will need to comply with the updated requirements.

Scope

One of the most significant revisions to ANSI/CAN/UL/ULC 2200, third edition, is that the Standard serves as a bi-national Standard for both the U.S. and Canada. On Sept. 29, 2020, ANSI/CAN/UL/ULC 2200 was designated as an ANSI and a National Standard of Canada (NSC). This harmonization effort streamlines requirements for applying for certification in the U.S. and Canada and facilitates compliance to both U.S. and Canadian applicable regulations. A single C-UL-US Mark now affords manufacturers the ability to meet both U.S. and Canadian certification requirements.

The change to the scope of the Standard also affords those manufacturers seeking to address the demand for high power rating generators the ability to do so by removing limitations on voltage. Where previous editions of the Standard capped the voltage at 600V, the third edition of the Standard allows for generators operating at medium-voltage levels to also obtain certification to ANSI/CAN/UL/ULC 2200’s requirements. As the Standard now covers the medium voltage generators, note that some installation applications do have voltage limits. Therefore, the Standard may still restrict the intended installation of the genset in some instances.

Safety analysis

ANSI/CAN/UL/ULC 2200 now requires manufacturers to conduct a risk assessment to identify the safety circuits performing the mitigation. Manufacturers should be prepared to provide a safety risk assessment for the stationary generator as part of the certification process to ANSI/CAN/UL/ULC 2200.

Where required by specific portions of this Standard, a safety risk assessment based on the end product application shall be conducted to identify safety circuits performing functions that are the primary means to mitigate the risk of fire, electric shock, or other hazards that could cause personal injury. The risk assessment shall take into account hardware failures, design faults, operator errors, and environmental impacts. Guidelines for the safety risk assessment are provided in safety of machinery – General principles for design – Risk assessment and risk reduction, ISO 12100, Sections 5.4, 5.5, and 6.

Control systems

Stationary generators have become technologically advanced machines. They require the ability to monitor their own operation, check for efficient functioning and intervene when necessary. Stationary generators overheat, speed up, slow down and vary in their performance based on factors such as fatigue, weather conditions and other internal components. Within generators, these factors take the form of electrical signals fed to a controller. In many cases, the controller primarily manages the stationary generator’s safety. Some safety circuits within the controller are individual components such as breakers and fuses. Still, due to the convenience and flexibility, many safety controls are hardware and software-based and act as the generator’s primary safety circuit. The controller monitors parameters within the generator and performs functions critical to the overall performance and safety of the generator. In some cases, a generator’s catastrophic failure can directly result from the electronics and/or software safety control system’s inability to protect the generator properly.

In ANSI/CAN/UL/ULC 2200’s third edition, manufacturers will observe an additional emphasis on assessing the safety controls’ reliability during the stationary generator’s certification process. As such, those controllers will need to undergo an individual evaluation for their support functions, operation and safety control features. UL/ULC 6200, the Standard for Controllers for Use in Power Production, serves as the binational Standard used to evaluate the controllers used in stationary generators. 

Engine generator controls that perform one or more safety functions where the failure of which can result in a risk of fire, electric shock, or other hazards as defined by this Standard shall be evaluated in accordance with UL/ULC 6200, including the requirements for Safety Circuits.

Software and functional safety

Whether it’s wireless monitoring, self-diagnostics or intricate power management systems, stationary generators employ complex electronics. One area utilizing digital technology is within the control systems. Because of the wide range of signals and sensors used in the controllers, microprocessor monitoring and control is critical for the machine’s safe management.

ANSI/CAN/UL/ULC 2200 now matches these innovations by focusing on the system's safety hardware and software circuits’ reliability. Manufacturers who utilize software or firmware in their controllers will need to comply with the updated requirements.

Safety circuits that rely on embedded software or firmware shall be identified by microprocessor model and firmware/software version. In addition, that software and firmware shall comply with one of the following functional safety standards:

1. IEC 61508-3, Functional safety of electrical/electronic/programmable electronic safety-related systems – Part 3: Software requirements (minimum of SIL 1);
2. UL 60730-1, Automatic Electrical Controls – Part 1: General Requirements for the United States, and/or CAN/CSA-E60730-1, Automatic electrical controls – Part 1: General requirements (Annex H.11.12 only) (minimum of Software Class B) for Canada;
3. UL 1998, Software in Programmable Components (minimum of Software Class 1) for the United States; and/or
4. CSA C22.2 No. 0.8, Safety functions incorporating electronic technology (minimum of Software Class B) for Canada.