Regulations for electrical installations
An electrical installation can work perfectly and still be badly done: what separates it from a safe one is not that it runs, but that it follows a set of rules written after many accidents. This page explains who writes those rules, how binding they are, how the Argentine installation regulation is organized and what role the licensed electrician plays.
How a dwelling is designed (degrees of electrification, circuits, panels) is in dwelling electrical project; the project stages, calculation and verification, in installation project; direct and indirect contact and earthing systems, in electrical protection. Here we work on what ties them together: which document governs, who enforces it and how it is shown that an installation complies.
01Law, decree, regulation and standard
In everyday talk “the standard” is used for everything, and that mixes things that bind in very different ways. They need to be told apart, because who you complain to and what you can demand depend on it.
| Instrument | Issued by | What it does | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| Law | The national Congress or a provincial Legislature. | Sets the principle and the obligations. Applies to everyone within its territory. | Law 19.587 on occupational health and safety (national). Law 10.281 on electrical safety (Córdoba). |
| Decree | Executive branch: the President or the Governor. | Regulates the law: says how it is complied with in practice. | Decree 351/79, which implements Law 19.587. |
| Resolution | A regulator or an enforcement authority, within its competence. | Details procedures and adopts technical regulations. | Resolution SRT 592/2004 (live-line work). General resolutions of ERSeP. |
| Technical standard | Standards bodies (IRAM, IEC) and technical associations (AEA). | Defines how things are designed, built and tested. By itself it has no force of law. | AEA 90364. IRAM 10005 (safety colours and signs). IEC 60364. |
IRAM (Argentine Institute for Standardization and Certification) writes Argentine standards and represents the country before international bodies. The IEC (International Electrotechnical Commission) writes electrical standards of worldwide scope. Many IRAM standards are translations or adaptations of IEC ones.
The Argentine Electrotechnical Association is a civil association of professionals, companies and manufacturers. It writes the installation regulation AEA 90364, whose technical basis is the international IEC 60364 series, adapted to Argentine conditions.
AEA 90364 is written by a civil association: it is not a law. It becomes enforceable because laws, regulators' resolutions and utility requirements refer to it, and because, after an accident, a judge or an expert takes it as the correct way to do the work. In other words: not following it is not a professional option, even if the text does not carry the seal of a law.
The AEA calls its document a Reglamentación (regulation), but it is not an implementing decree. And an implementing decree such as 351/79 is not a technical standard. When a requirement is quoted, you must know which of the four levels it comes from: the claim and the responsibility are different in each case.
02Regulators and distribution utilities
Between the power plant and the socket there are several actors. Some operate the grid; others oversee those who operate it. For the electricity used by a house in Córdoba, the path is this:
| Actor | What it is | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| ENRE | National Electricity Regulatory Entity. Created by Law 24.065, the electricity regulatory framework. | Oversees high-voltage transmission and distribution under national jurisdiction. It does not oversee EPEC. |
| CAMMESA | The company that administers the wholesale electricity market. | Coordinates dispatch of the power plants and transactions between generators and utilities. |
| ERSeP | Regulator of Public Services of the Province of Córdoba. | Oversees the province's utilities on tariffs and service quality, handles complaints and enforces the provincial electrical safety law. |
| EPEC | Empresa Provincial de Energía de Córdoba, the distribution utility. | Operates the grid, connects services, installs the meter, bills and handles outages. In the rest of the province, electric cooperatives also distribute. |
| Owner and installer | Whoever owns the installation and whoever built it. | Maintain and answer for everything downstream of the meter. |
An outage or abnormal voltage on the grid is first claimed from the utility; if it does not answer, from the regulator of its jurisdiction, which in Córdoba is ERSeP. A fault in the interior installation is not the utility's: it is the owner's, and the installer who certified it answers for the work.
The utility does not just sell energy: it sets technical requirements for connecting a new installation or expanding an existing one (meter type, location of the metering cabinet, contracted power, documents). Those requirements are checked before drawing the plan, not when the work is finished: relocating a building's meter cabinet costs far more than asking first.
03Inside AEA 90364
The Regulation for the execution of electrical installations in buildings (AEA 90364) is not a book read from cover to cover: it is a system of parts consulted according to the question. It follows the organization of the international standard IEC 60364.
| Part | What it covers | What it is consulted for |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Scope, object and fundamental principles. | Which installations it applies to and which safety principles rule. |
| 2 | Definitions. | What each term means: exposed conductive part, protective conductor, indirect contact. |
| 3 | Determination of general characteristics. | Power, earthing system, external influences of the place. |
| 4 | Protection for safety. | Against electric shock, overcurrent, overvoltage. |
| 5 | Selection and erection of electrical equipment. | Conductors, wiring systems, panels, earthing. |
| 6 | Verification of installations. | What tests and inspection to carry out before energizing and periodically. |
| 7 | Particular rules for special locations and premises. | Dwellings, offices and premises, bathrooms, pools, hospitals, fire-risk areas. |
Parts 1 to 6 apply to every installation. The sections of Part 7 add, and sometimes replace, rules for one type of place. If the particular section says nothing about a point, the general rule applies. For a dwelling, office or single premises the section to consult is AEA 90364-7-771.
Each section is published and updated separately, so you must always consult the current edition of the part you need, not an old handout or PDF: a project well calculated against a superseded edition can end up non-compliant.
| What the regulation asks for | Where it is explained on this site |
|---|---|
| Classifying the dwelling by degree of electrification and setting a minimum number of circuits. | Dwelling electrical project |
| Circuit types, panels, wiring systems, conductor colours. | Dwelling electrical project |
| Conductor sizes, voltage drop, overcurrent protection. | Electrical installations |
| Direct and indirect contact, TT system, selectivity, surge arresters. | Electrical protection |
| Report, drawings, load schedule, test protocol. | Installation project |
| Selection and marking of materials. | Electrical materials |
“We have always done it this way” is the most common and weakest argument. Rules change: practices that were common stopped being accepted (earthing on water pipes, neutral and protective conductor joined downstream of the panel) because they proved dangerous. Every design decision must be backed by an article of the current edition.
04Condominium buildings (horizontal property)
In an apartment building several units coexist, each with its owner, and common areas belong to all and are run by the owners' association. The installation regulation adds to what has been seen rules of its own for that coexistence: each unit's energy is metered separately, common areas have their own supply, and the cable routes cross places that do not belong to a single owner.
| Element | What it is and what to watch in the design |
|---|---|
| Service connection | The link between the utility grid and the building. The utility defines it according to the total expected power. |
| Meter cabinet or room | Gathers the meters of all units and the one for common services. It must be accessible to utility staff, ventilated, lit and with working space; its location is checked before designing. |
| Risers | The vertical lines that carry energy from each unit's meter to its panel. They run in common-use shafts or conduits, protected, identified and separated from communications. |
| Unit sub-panel | Each apartment's panel: from there the unit is designed like a dwelling, with its degree of electrification and its circuits (see dwelling project). |
| Common-services main panel | Feeds lifts, water pumps, landing and stair lighting, emergency lights, door entry and whatever hangs from the association. It has its own meter and its maintenance belongs to the association. |
| Earthing | One earthing installation for the building, to which the panels and the exposed parts of the common areas are connected. The protective conductors of the units reach that node. |
What changes compared with a dwelling
Not every apartment draws its maximum at once. For the building a diversity factor set by the regulation or the utility is applied; adding everything directly would oversize the service connection.
Common areas belong to the association, not to one owner. Someone must be responsible for maintaining the common panels and for preventing interference with the risers.
Evacuation and fire impose rules on materials, routes and emergency lighting that a house does not have. They are solved with the particular section of the regulation and with the local fire code.
Each apartment has a medium degree of electrification, with a demand of up to 7 kVA. Common services add up to 18 kVA. Since the real diversity factor is set by the regulation or the utility, this example assumes 0.5 for the apartments and 1 for common services.
1. Current of one apartment (single-phase, 220 V):
2. Building demand:
3. Current of the 380 V three-phase line feeding the building:
Checked another way, splitting the power among the three phases:
The difference (91.2 A versus 90.9 A) comes from 380/√3 being 219.4 V, not 220 V. The protection and the service conductor are chosen above that value, with the criteria of electrical installations. If 1 were taken instead of 0.5 (adding everything: 102 kVA), the current would be 155 A, 70 % more.
Upstream of the meter the line is always live and cannot be cut from inside the building. The meters and their seals belong to the utility: opening, bypassing or moving them is an offence and a mortal risk. Any work there is done, or authorized, by the utility's staff.
05The licensed electrician and the certificate of suitable installation
Córdoba provincial Law 10.281, on electrical safety, provides that certain installations must have proof of compliance with the regulation, signed by a person with professional responsibility. That person is the Licensed Electrical Installer (Instalador Electricista Habilitado), registered in the register kept by ERSeP, and the proof is the Certificate of Suitable Electrical Installation (Certificado de Instalación Eléctrica Apta).
That the installation was built and verified according to the current technical regulation: inspection, protective conductor continuity, insulation, residual-current protection and earthing. By signing it, the installer takes responsibility for what is declared.
To request a new connection, a power increase or a reconnection from the utility, for the installations the law covers. Deadlines and the cases where it is required have been amended: check the ERSeP website.
| Document | Made by | What it contains |
|---|---|---|
| Report and drawings | Designer | Loads, circuits, calculations, single-line diagram. See installation project. |
| Measurement protocol | Installer | Measured insulation, continuity, RCD and earthing values, with the instrument used. |
| Certificate of Suitable Electrical Installation | Licensed Electrical Installer | The declaration that the installation complies, with the property's and installer's data. |
| Service request | Owner | Request to the utility, with the certificate attached. |
It is signed by the installer, with their name and their responsibility. The regulator registers it and checks that installers comply; the utility requires it to connect. Anyone who signs without having measured is committing a fault, and after an accident is the first to be called to answer.
This is the work of the trade itself: when students finish the technical programme, anyone who wants to sign certificates needs to meet the registration requirements set by the regulator and keep them up to date. Holding the diploma is part of the path, it does not replace registration: current requirements are checked with ERSeP.
06In the workshop
Material: a current edition of the relevant section of AEA 90364 (in the school library or an authorized copy). Steps: choose five design decisions of a dwelling (degree of electrification, number of circuits, minimum conductor size, protection of a socket circuit, panel location) and, for each, note the clause where the regulation sets it. Acceptance: five decisions with their reference to the article and the edition; none “from memory”.
Material: ten situations written on cards (“a neighbour complains of only 180 V”, “the kitchen installation has no earth”, “the meter seal is broken”, “the job has no certificate”…). Steps: for each, decide whether it is a matter for the utility, the regulator, the owner or the installer, and which instrument (law, decree, resolution, standard) governs it. Acceptance: each card with a responsible party and a source; the class discusses the doubtful ones.
Material: the plan of a building with four to ten apartments and a calculator. Steps: locate the meter cabinet, draw the single-line diagram from the service connection to each sub-panel and the common-services panel, and calculate the demand with a diversity factor given by the teacher (as in the worked example). Acceptance: legible single-line diagram with every element labelled, and service current calculated two ways (total and per phase) that agree apart from rounding.
Material: the workshop practice installation, de-energized, plus an earth tester, an insulation tester and an RCD tester. Steps: inspect, measure protective-conductor continuity at every outlet, insulation, RCD tripping and earthing, and record the values in a protocol. Limit values are taken from the current edition of the regulation, not from memory. Acceptance: complete protocol with the instrument, the measured value and the limit for each test; the teacher signs the drill, not the student.
Tests that need voltage (RCD, earth with the installation in service) are done only on the training panel and under supervision. A meter cabinet or a utility seal is never touched. For the general procedure, see occupational health and safety.
07Common mistakes
| Mistake | Consequence |
|---|---|
| Saying “the standard says so” without knowing which level it comes from | Someone is asked for something that does not apply, or something that does apply is not asked. Cite the instrument and the clause. |
| Using an old edition of the AEA | The project meets a superseded rule and ends up non-compliant. Always consult the current edition of the part needed. |
| Believing that meeting the AEA replaces the law or the utility's requirement | You can meet the technical standard and still go unconnected for lack of the certificate or for not respecting the meter cabinet. |
| Confusing ENRE with ERSeP | The claim goes to a body with no authority over EPEC. In Córdoba the regulator of the provincial utility is ERSeP. |
| Adding all powers in a building without diversity | Oversized service connection and riser; the budget rises for no reason. |
| Designing the meter cabinet without consulting the utility | It has to be redone on site, with the building nearly finished. |
| Signing a certificate without having measured | Professional liability for the installer, and a dangerous installation with paperwork in order. |
| Tampering with the meter or its seal | An offence, risk of electrocution and of a short circuit upstream, where nothing protects. |
08Self-assessment
What is the difference between a law, a decree, a resolution and a technical standard?
A law is passed by Congress or a Legislature and sets general obligations; a decree is issued by the executive and implements the law; a resolution is issued by a regulator within its competence and details procedures; a technical standard (IRAM, IEC, AEA) defines how things are done and by itself does not bind: it does when a law or resolution cites it.
AEA 90364 is written by a civil association. Why must it be followed?
Because laws, regulators' resolutions and utility requirements refer to it, and because after an accident it is taken as the correct way to build the installation. Not following it leaves the installer without a defence.
Which regulator oversees EPEC, and why is it not ENRE?
ERSeP, the regulator of Córdoba's public services. ENRE regulates high-voltage transmission and distribution under national jurisdiction; the provincial utility answers to the provincial regulator.
Where does the utility's responsibility end?
At the meter, included: grid, service connection and metering. From the meter's output terminals inward the installation belongs to the owner, and whoever certified it answers for its execution.
Name three elements found in an apartment building and not in a house.
Any of these: the shared meter cabinet or room, the risers in common shafts, the common-services main panel with its own meter, and the diversity factor applied to the building's demand.
Who signs the Certificate of Suitable Electrical Installation and what happens if it does not exist?
The Licensed Electrical Installer, registered with ERSeP, signs it and takes responsibility for what is declared. Without it, for installations covered by the law, the utility must not connect or expand the service.
A building has 6 apartments of 7 kVA and common services of 9 kVA. With diversity 0.5 on the apartments, what 380 V three-phase current does it draw?
Demand: 6 · 7 kVA · 0.5 + 9 kVA = 21 + 9 = 30 kVA. Current:
Per-phase check: 30 kVA / 3 = 10 kVA per phase; 10 000 VA / 219.4 V ≈ 45.6 A. It matches.