Automotive Dealership - Service Voltage

Status
Not open for further replies.

Shoe

Senior Member
Location
USA
Not having much history in automobile dealership design, does anyone have opinion on service voltage? This is a 70,000 square foot, single-story facility. My inclination is to use a 277/480V service but much of the utilization equipment in the shop (lifts, air comp., etc.) is at 208V.

I still think it may be worth it to provide step down transformers for utilization equipment to eliminate having to feed lighting and rooftop equipment at 120/208V but am curious if I'm "bucking the norm" with this approach?
 

Hv&Lv

Senior Member
Location
-
Occupation
Engineer/Technician
Not having much history in automobile dealership design, does anyone have opinion on service voltage? This is a 70,000 square foot, single-story facility. My inclination is to use a 277/480V service but much of the utilization equipment in the shop (lifts, air comp., etc.) is at 208V.

I still think it may be worth it to provide step down transformers for utilization equipment to eliminate having to feed lighting and rooftop equipment at 120/208V but am curious if I'm "bucking the norm" with this approach?

How much equipment is 277/480?
 

Shoe

Senior Member
Location
USA
Not much at all for equipment at 480V. Mainly lighting (which would include the Parking Lot) and rooftop / HVAC equipment, but this would account for the majority of the electrical demand but not necessarily the majority of equipment connections.

For example, we have about 40 service bays that require connections for 208V, 2hp lifts at each bay as well as 120V for power tools.
 

iwire

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Massachusetts
Around here that would get a 480 service. Just consider the parking lot lighting that needs to be run, at 208 voltage drop is going to be much more of an issue, add that to the HVAC loads and I think it makes sense to have a 480 service.
 

steve66

Senior Member
Location
Illinois
Occupation
Engineer
Is it just me, or are auto dealerships in full swing with remodeling and expansion?

I can think of 3 or 4 local one that are doing major remodeling, or even completely new buildings.
 

Shoe

Senior Member
Location
USA
My area has 208 volts at dealerships, putting many of them in a tizzy when it comes to connecting charging stations.

So....don't forget to factor those in.

Is your typical charging station at 208V or are they 480V as well? I know they have a couple now, and I suppose I need to plan for them to add more in the future.
 

iwire

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Massachusetts
I see it as well. Not more than a mile and half from my home a single dealer has been continuously taking over both sides of a major road. Buying buildings, knocking them down, spending a fortune on site up grades including very large and costly retaining walls so they can have a very large flat area.
 

K8MHZ

Senior Member
Location
Michigan. It's a beautiful peninsula, I've looked
Occupation
Electrician
Is your typical charging station at 208V or are they 480V as well? I know they have a couple now, and I suppose I need to plan for them to add more in the future.

They are the chargers they are going to be selling to the public to be used at residences, so the fast chargers are 240 volts. The smaller ones are 120 volts, so that's no problem.

So, a new dealership will require 120, 208 and now also 240 volts. One dealership I worked in had a 480 volt three phase air compressor. So you may have to have 480 on the list, as well.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top