GRID
Utility grid connection
The symbol for the external utility network as a supply source at the top of a single-line diagram.
SLD
Symbols · PCC
Point of common coupling
A marker on a single-line diagram identifying where a customer installation or microgrid meets the public network.
In plain English
What does Point of common coupling mean?
The point of common coupling is the location on the network nearest to the installation where other customers are, or could be, connected. Harmonic, flicker and voltage limits in connection agreements are assessed at this point, and microgrid islanding decisions are often defined relative to it.
A simple example
Drawings mark the point with a dot, circle, flag or label PCC on the busbar or cable, often together with the ownership boundary and the revenue meter. A microgrid may show both a PCC with the utility and internal points of connection for each source.
What the drawings help you do
The marker carries no electrical function itself. It does not tell you the ownership boundary, which can differ from the PCC, or the fault level at that point, which must be stated for compliance assessments.
This particular reference
A marker on a single-line diagram identifying where a customer installation or microgrid meets the public network. A PCC marks an assessment point; a utility grid connection symbol represents the supply itself.
- Normally open / normally closed
- The contact state in the normal condition defined for the drawing.
- Terminal
- An identified point where a conductor connects.
- Rating
- A value stating the conditions for which equipment is specified.
Read the source: Electrical installation design methodology and references · Reliable hybrid power and microgrid solutions
SLD · PCC
What it represents
The point of common coupling is the location on the network nearest to the installation where other customers are, or could be, connected. Harmonic, flicker and voltage limits in connection agreements are assessed at this point, and microgrid islanding decisions are often defined relative to it.
Drawings mark the point with a dot, circle, flag or label PCC on the busbar or cable, often together with the ownership boundary and the revenue meter. A microgrid may show both a PCC with the utility and internal points of connection for each source.
The marker carries no electrical function itself. It does not tell you the ownership boundary, which can differ from the PCC, or the fault level at that point, which must be stated for compliance assessments.
How to read it
- Do not assume the PCC and the ownership boundary coincide.
- Power quality limits are assessed here.
Information to show or reference
- State voltage level and fault level at the PCC.
- Show the ownership boundary separately.
- Reference connection agreement limits.
A distinction that matters
A PCC marks an assessment point; a utility grid connection symbol represents the supply itself.
Sources you can follow
These public references support the explanation and provide further detail. Their graphics and downloadable files remain with their publishers.
Electrical installation design methodology and references
Public electrical installation design references covering supply connection.
Reliable hybrid power and microgrid solutions
Public microgrid context with mains import and export at the connection point.
About this graphic
This illustration was authored independently by Elora Grid to explain the concept. It is not reproduced from a customer drawing, an official standard graphic or a manufacturer CAD file. Its correspondence to an exact IEC or IEEE symbol identifier has not been certified.
SVG and DXF downloads contain this original artwork. DXF uses unscaled drawing units; a GA envelope supplies no product dimensions, clearances or fabrication information. Original artwork is available under CC BY 4.0. Third-party references retain their own terms.
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