210.71 Receptacle Outlets Required. Meeting rooms.
Code Change Summary: A new code section provides receptacle spacing requirements for meeting rooms.
For many years, receptacle spacing rules along walls applied only to dwelling units. For the most part, that will remain the same in the 2017 NEC® except for meeting rooms.
In the 2017 NEC®, meeting rooms up to 1000 ft2 in other than dwellings must have nonlocking-type, 125-volt, 15- or 20-ampere receptacles. This requirement does not apply to meeting rooms greater than 1000 ft2 unless the meeting room has a divider or partition that splits up the room into smaller rooms of 1000 ft2 or less each. For example: If a large meeting room has a center partition and can be divided into two smaller rooms of 1000 ft2 or less each, then each room is considered individually are receptacles are required.
The new requirements will help to solve the all too common issue of extension cords strung everywhere to power the presenter’s projector or laptop as well as electronic devices used by meeting participants.
The new code section leaves a bit of a gray area. Section 210.71(B) states that the designer or building owner can determine receptacle placement but it also states that the receptacles outlets in fixed walls must be in accordance with 210.52(A)(1-4) which is where the 6ft. and 12 ft. receptacle spacing rules come from. This code change is likely to see some revisions in the 2020 NEC®.
Section 210.71(B)(2) addresses floor receptacles in meeting rooms that measure at least 12 ft. wide with a floor area of at least 215 ft2. These meeting rooms must have at least one floor receptacle located at least 6 ft. from any fixed wall for each 215 ft2 or major portion of floor space.
Below is a preview of Article 210. See the actual NEC® text at NFPA.ORG for the complete code section. Once there, click on their link to free access to the 2017 NEC® edition of NFPA 70.
2017 Code Language:
N 210.71 Meeting Rooms.
(A) General. Each meeting room of not more than 93 m2 (1000 ft2) in other than dwelling units shall have outlets for nonlocking-type, 125-volt, 15- or 20-ampere receptacles. The outlets shall be installed in accordance with 210.71(B). Where a room or space is provided with movable partition(s), each room size shall be determined with the partition in the position that results in the smallest size meeting room.
(B) Receptacle Outlets Required. The total number of receptacle outlets, including floor outlets and receptacle outlets in fixed furniture, shall not be less than as determined in (1) and (2). These receptacle outlets shall be permitted to be located as determined by the designer or building owner.
(1) Receptacle Outlets in Fixed Walls. Receptacle outlets shall be installed in accordance with 210.52(A)(1) through (A)(4).
(2) Floor Receptacle Outlets. A meeting room that is at least 3.7 m (12 ft) wide and that has a floor area of at least 20 m2 (215 ft2) shall have at least one receptacle outlet located in the floor at a distance not less than 1.8 m (6 ft) from any fixed wall for each 20 m2 (215 ft2) or major portion of floor space.