PE stands for protective earthing. It is the dedicated ground wire in an electrical installation that provides a safe, low-impedance fault path back to the source. Under normal conditions, the PE conductor carries no current. During a fault to the equipment casing, it carries the short-circuit current to trip the upstream protective device and prevent lethal touch voltages.
Make sure the PE conductor is securely bonded to the motor chassis before you energize the circuit.
Also heard as
- protective earth
- protective earthing
Related terms
PEN conductor
Single conductor that serves as both the neutral and the protective earth in a TN-C network.
Equipotential bonding
Connecting metal parts together so they sit at one potential and no dangerous voltage appears between them.
Touch voltage
Voltage a person bridges between a hand on faulted metalwork and their feet or other hand during a fault.
Ground wire
A dedicated conductor that connects electrical equipment enclosures or system neutrals to the earth electrode.