What is an EPSS and when does an FDA-regulated maquiladora need one?

An EPSS (Emergency Power Supply System) per NFPA 110 provides backup power during CFE outages. For FDA-regulated medical device facilities, NFPA 110 Level 1 requires automatic transfer to emergency power in ≤10 seconds to protect processes classified as Class 1 under NFPA 99 (life-safety or product-integrity critical). Facilities that have experienced production losses due to power outages typically recover the EPSS investment within 12 months.

How long does CFE power expansion take for a growing maquiladora?

A primary service expansion requiring new CFE interconnection typically takes 14–20 weeks: feasibility study (2–3 wk), detailed engineering and UVIE submission (4–6 wk), UVIE inspection and dictamen (4–6 wk), CFE interconnection works (4–6 wk). Us Tech coordinates all phases — including UVIE scheduling and CFE liaison — to minimize the timeline and avoid common delays.

Industrial Power Engineering Tijuana | NOM-001-SEDE + NEC 2023

Q: What is UVIE and why does my maquiladora need it?

UVIE (Unidad Verificadora de Instalaciones Eléctricas) is an accredited inspection body authorized by the Mexican government to certify that electrical installations comply with NOM-001-SEDE 2012. Without a favorable UVIE dictamen, CFE will not provide primary electrical service. Any maquiladora requiring a new electrical connection, service expansion, or change of use must obtain UVIE certification before operating.

Q: Does Us Tech handle both NOM-001-SEDE (Mexico) and NEC 2023 (US) compliance?

Yes — dual-code compliance is our standard practice. NOM-001-SEDE governs the Mexican regulatory process (CFE service, UVIE certification), while NEC 2023 is required by US parent company auditors and OEM engineering standards. We document both simultaneously in a single technical file, eliminating the need for separate Mexican and US design packages.

Dual-Code Compliance · Mexico + USA

NOM-001-SEDE 2012 vs NEC 2023

Maquiladoras answer to two electrical codes simultaneously — the Mexican standard for CFE service and UVIE certification, and the US standard for OEM parent company auditors. We document both in a single technical file.

Item	NOM-001-SEDE 2012 (Mexico)	NEC 2023 (USA)	Us Tech Approach
Authority	DGIEM · CFE · UVIE	AHJ · NFPA · UL	Most restrictive criterion applied at each design point
Conductor Sizing	mm² cross-section	AWG gauge	Parallel tables delivered: mm² for UVIE, AWG for US audit
Grounding	Electrode system per NOM Sec. 2.50	NEC Art. 250	Single-point ground design satisfying both norms
Arc Flash	Referenced via NFPA 70E in NOM	NFPA 70E · IEEE 1584-2018	IEEE 1584-2018 study with NFPA 70E PPE categories on all labels
Emergency Power	NOM-001-SEDE Sec. 7 references	NFPA 110 · NEC Art. 700/702	NFPA 110 Level 1 design with NOM-001-SEDE documentation
Service Approval	UVIE dictamen → CFE service	AHJ permit → utility connection	UVIE coordination managed end-to-end by Us Tech

Scope of Work · End-to-End Delivery

Industrial Power Services for Maquiladoras

From initial load study through CFE commissioning and UVIE certification — Us Tech manages the complete electrical scope under a single contract.

Load Study & Power Expansion Engineering

Steady-state load analysis, motor-start kVA study, power factor correction, and CFE service sizing for current and projected production capacity. Starting point for all expansion projects.

NOM-001-SEDE · IEC 60038

Medium/Low Voltage Substation Design

Complete MT/BT substation engineering: transformer selection, primary and secondary switchgear, busduct, metering, and protective relay coordination. CFE-compliant connection design included.

NOM-001-SEDE · NEC 2023

Arc Flash Study — IEEE 1584-2018

Incident energy calculations at all system nodes (switchgear, MCCs, panelboards), NFPA 70E PPE category assignment, arc flash boundary determination, and equipment label set. Required for UVIE approval.

IEEE 1584-2018 · NFPA 70E

UVIE Certification Management

Complete management of the 5-step UVIE process: engineering package preparation, inspection scheduling, deficiency resolution, dictamen coordination, and CFE service liaison. Target: first-attempt approval.

NOM-001-SEDE · DGIEM

EPSS Emergency Power — NFPA 110 Level 1

Generator sizing (kW steady-state + kVA motor start + 25% service factor), automatic transfer switch (≤10 s transfer), fuel tank sizing, SCADA monitoring, and FDA-ready commissioning documentation.

NFPA 110 · NFPA 99 · NEC Art. 700

Construction & Commissioning

Installation supervision, acceptance testing, protective relay coordination testing, ATS transfer time measurement, and final as-built documentation for both NOM-001-SEDE and NEC 2023 compliance records.

NOM-001-SEDE · NEC 2023 · UL 1008

UVIE Certification · 5-Step Process

How We Get Your UVIE Approved on the First Attempt

Most UVIE failures occur at Step 3 — the physical inspection — due to documentation gaps and installation deficiencies identified on-site. Us Tech pre-validates against the UVIE checklist before scheduling inspection.

Engineering Package

Complete NOM-001-SEDE design drawings, load calculations, arc flash study, and equipment specs per UVIE submission format.

Wk 1–4

UVIE Application

Submission to accredited UVIE body with full documentation package. Us Tech manages the submission and all follow-up communications.

Wk 4–5

Physical Inspection

On-site inspection by UVIE verifier. Us Tech accompanies the inspector to address technical questions and present documentation in real time.

Wk 6–10

Favorable Dictamen

UVIE issues the compliance certificate. Us Tech reviews the dictamen for scope and accuracy before it is submitted to CFE.

Wk 10–12

CFE Interconnection

UVIE dictamen submitted to CFE for service authorization. Us Tech coordinates CFE interconnection works and final energization.

Wk 12–18

Case Study · Silo B Proof · El Lago, Tijuana

1,500 → 2,800 kVA Expansion: Medical Device OEM, Zero Unplanned Downtime

+87%

Installed Capacity

1st

UVIE Attempt

Unplanned Downtime

Orthopedic medical device OEM expanded from 1,500 to 2,800 kVA (+87%) in 22 weeks without a single unplanned production stop. Arc flash category reduced from Cat 3 to Cat 1 (IEEE 1584-2018). UVIE favorable dictamen on first inspection.

Read Full Case Study →

View EPSS Case Study

Frequently Asked Questions

Common Questions from OEM Engineering & Facilities Teams

What is UVIE and why does my maquiladora need it? +

UVIE (Unidad Verificadora de Instalaciones Eléctricas) is the Mexican government-accredited inspection body that certifies electrical installations comply with NOM-001-SEDE 2012. Without a favorable UVIE dictamen, CFE will not provide primary electrical service — no service, no production. Any maquiladora requiring a new connection, expansion, or change-of-use must obtain UVIE certification.

Does Us Tech handle both NOM-001-SEDE (Mexico) and NEC 2023 (US) compliance? +

Yes — dual-code compliance is our standard practice for maquiladora projects. NOM-001-SEDE governs the Mexican regulatory process (CFE, UVIE); NEC 2023 satisfies US parent company auditors and OEM engineering standards. We deliver a single technical file with parallel documentation for both codes, eliminating the need for separate design packages.

What does an arc flash study involve and how long does it take? +

An arc flash study per IEEE 1584-2018 models the incident energy (cal/cm²) at every switchgear, MCC, and panelboard in your facility to assign NFPA 70E PPE categories. For a typical maquiladora, the study takes 3–5 weeks. It is required for UVIE certification and forms the basis of arc flash warning labels on all equipment. Us Tech delivers the study, labels, and updated electrical one-line as a complete package.

When does an FDA-regulated maquiladora need an emergency power system (EPSS)? +

NFPA 110 Level 1 emergency power is required when life-safety or product-integrity critical loads (NFPA 99 Class 1) would be interrupted by a CFE outage — typical for clean room HVAC, UPS systems protecting in-process product, or environmental control systems in FDA-regulated processes. Facilities that have experienced production losses due to outages typically recover the EPSS investment within 12 months of installation.

How long does a CFE power expansion take for a growing maquiladora? +

Primary service expansions requiring new CFE interconnection run 14–20 weeks: engineering + UVIE package (4–6 wk), UVIE inspection and dictamen (4–6 wk), CFE interconnection works and energization (4–8 wk). Us Tech coordinates all phases — including UVIE scheduling, CFE liaison, and construction supervision — under a single contract to minimize the total timeline.

Industrial Power
for Maquiladoras
in Tijuana

NOM-001-SEDE 2012 vs NEC 2023

Industrial Power Services for Maquiladoras

How We Get Your UVIE Approved on the First Attempt

1,500 → 2,800 kVA Expansion: Medical Device OEM, Zero Unplanned Downtime

Common Questions from OEM Engineering & Facilities Teams

Go Deeper on Industrial Power Engineering

Tell Us About Your Power Project

Industrial Powerfor Maquiladorasin Tijuana

NOM-001-SEDE 2012 vs NEC 2023

Industrial Power Services for Maquiladoras

How We Get Your UVIE Approved on the First Attempt

1,500 → 2,800 kVA Expansion: Medical Device OEM, Zero Unplanned Downtime

Common Questions from OEM Engineering & Facilities Teams

Go Deeper on Industrial Power Engineering

Tell Us About Your Power Project

Industrial Power
for Maquiladoras
in Tijuana