Need some advice on metering....

[paawwlwall]

I am working on a project and need a little help. Here is a little background information.
I have an existing building that was originally built into 16 separate bays so that each bay could be a separate tenant. The new owner has now combined all but 2 of these individual spaces into one large area (at different phases). The original design has the secondary feed from the utility transformer hitting a 1600A main disconnect then going into a meter bank of 16 meters then going to each panel in every bay. (Each bay has its own 225A panel).

During the first 2 phases of the project we activated 3 meters and 3 panels. The new project is finishing out 7 more "bays". The electric company is charging a separate fee each month for every meter. The owner would like to install a new large meter so that he only has one meter not 5 individual meters, basically he wants to eliminate the monthly fees for every meter.

I have tried to find a meter base/socket that will be large enough to handle the 8 individual panels with no luck. Is what the owner wanting to do possible/allowed in code. I have thought about some sort of transformer meter but with the other to tenants in the building it would be difficult to keep it separate. Does anyone have any suggestions?

Thanks for the help

 

[fmtjfw]

Start over?

Start over?

Sounds like you need to ditch the current metering equipment and start over.

Basically there are not any meter sockets for higher than 400A. You will need to have the poco install metering transformers for the services being consolidated into a more than 400A service. Note that you may need to recalculate the load as combining a bunch of 225A panels will not have N*225A as the real load.

You should also check into how long the separate meter charges would have to go on to equal the cost of this conversion.

 

[texie]

Sounds like you need to ditch the current metering equipment and start over.

Basically there are not any meter sockets for higher than 400A. You will need to have the poco install metering transformers for the services being consolidated into a more than 400A service. Note that you may need to recalculate the load as combining a bunch of 225A panels will not have N*225A as the real load.

You should also check into how long the separate meter charges would have to go on to equal the cost of this conversion.

I second that. It is what it is and if that's not how the customer wants to meter it you just have to change the meter set up. This is an age old problem in occupancies of this type.

 

[mgookin]

I am working on a project and need a little help. Here is a little background information.
I have an existing building that was originally built into 16 separate bays so that each bay could be a separate tenant. The new owner has now combined all but 2 of these individual spaces into one large area (at different phases). The original design has the secondary feed from the utility transformer hitting a 1600A main disconnect then going into a meter bank of 16 meters then going to each panel in every bay. (Each bay has its own 225A panel).

During the first 2 phases of the project we activated 3 meters and 3 panels. The new project is finishing out 7 more "bays". The electric company is charging a separate fee each month for every meter. The owner would like to install a new large meter so that he only has one meter not 5 individual meters, basically he wants to eliminate the monthly fees for every meter.

I have tried to find a meter base/socket that will be large enough to handle the 8 individual panels with no luck. Is what the owner wanting to do possible/allowed in code. I have thought about some sort of transformer meter but with the other to tenants in the building it would be difficult to keep it separate. Does anyone have any suggestions?

Thanks for the help

I'm lost on your meter count. Seems there should be 14 meters for the large area and 2 for the others but that's moot. Let's agree you want to aggregate a qty of meters.

We faced this 20 years ago on a 25 story buildng orignially built as 200+ condos but operated as a name brand hotel.

You're just going to have to design a new service starting with the load on the 14 bays and reuse what you can. And if it's an indoor electric room I'd guess they didn't give you any spare real estate in there.

 

[hurk27]

The cheapest route would have the utility to install CT metering at the transformer or install a CT cabinet and meter the whole meter pack, then either sub meter the two rented bays if allowed in your state by purchasing two utility grade meters for the rented bays and installing meter jumpers and blank covers for all the rest. other wise changing out the meter pack to a CT cabinet and disconnects for each panel is going to cost quit a bit.

Most utility's will only allow CT metering on services above 400 amps single phase and 200 amps 3-phase so as for finding a meter for over this will not be possible.

Also most utility's supply the meter bases for CT metering but that will depend upon your utility which if the first place I would start asking questions at.

 

[robbietan]

Sounds like you need to ditch the current metering equipment and start over.

Basically there are not any meter sockets for higher than 400A. You will need to have the poco install metering transformers for the services being consolidated into a more than 400A service. Note that you may need to recalculate the load as combining a bunch of 225A panels will not have N*225A as the real load.

You should also check into how long the separate meter charges would have to go on to equal the cost of this conversion.

our poco here provides CT service at 66kW for low-voltage 3 phase service or 40kW for low-voltage single phase service. and the poco here would love to have only one (mother) meter for 200 tenants instead of having to read 200 meters for 200 tenants