Table of Contents

• Definition of High Voltage

• NEC (North America) Standard

• IEC (International) Standard

• ANSI C84.1 (U.S. Power Systems)

• Voltage Classification Summary

• Conclusion

Definition of High Voltage

“High voltage” generally refers to any electrical potential large enough to require special safety measures and insulation clearances. Exact numerical thresholds vary by standard and jurisdiction.

NEC (North America) Standard

According to the U.S. National Electrical Code (NEC), systems operating above 600 V are classified as “high voltage.” 480 V falls below this threshold and is therefore not considered high voltage in NEC terms.

IEC (International) Standard

The International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) defines high voltage as any alternating-current voltage above 1,000 V or direct-current voltage above 1,500 V. Since 480 V is well under these limits, it is not high voltage under IEC rules.

ANSI C84.1 (U.S. Power Systems)

ANSI Standard C84.1–2020 categorizes system voltages for 60 Hz power systems. It defines high voltage only at 115 kV to 230 kV. Voltages below 1 kV are considered low voltage. Thus, 480 V is also low voltage by ANSI C84.1 classification.

Voltage Classification Summary

• Low Voltage (LV): ≤ 1,000 V (IEC) / ≤ 600 V (NEC)
• Medium Voltage (MV): > 1,000 V and < 100 kV (IEC/ANSI)
• High Voltage (HV): ≥ 100 kV (IEC/ANSI) / > 600 V (NEC)

480 V thus sits within the low‐voltage range in most major standards, sometimes loosely called “industrial voltage” rather than high voltage.

Conclusion

No—480 V is not considered high voltage by NEC, IEC, or ANSI standards. It is treated as low (or at most medium) voltage and is common for industrial and commercial power distribution.