NEUTRAL CONDUCTOR FROM THE DISTRIBUTION UTILITY

[mivey]

Should the end user allow the Distribution Utility to charge him with the line losses of the grounded service conductor or neutral conductor?

But of course. It is the end user's responsibility to balance their loads and minimize the neutral current if they are concerned about those losses.

 

[mivey]

Based on the illustration. What MATERIAL should the distribution utility used for the grounded service conductor?

Whatever they feel is adequate. They could use jump rope if they felt it was adequate.

What size is the minimum?

Whatever they determine would adequately handle the unbalanced load.

Can the utility use regular GI wire as the messenger wire for the neutral or the grounded service conductor?

If it met their internal standards.

Any Energy Regulatory Code or Distribution Code that the DU will have to comply to make sure that the messenger wire complies with the minimum size of grounded service conductor?

Maybe in some places, but most will adhere to internal construction standards (which is probably the basis for any external standards anyway since the internal standards have been in place much longer).

 

[mivey]

The state utility commissions all have standards that set the minimum voltage that the utility can supply to the building.

May be true for those that are regulated by the commissions. Some utilities are public utilities and are regulated by their internal boards/commissions that are elected by the customers they serve.

 

[mivey]

What is then the standard for what is too small or just enough?

Engineering judgment and best practices.

 

[don_resqcapt19]

May be true for those that are regulated by the commissions. Some utilities are public utilities and are regulated by their internal boards/commissions that are elected by the customers they serve.

The pubic utilities in Illinois are regulated by the Illinois Commerce Commission. The type of corporation that runs the utility has nothing to do with this. The Commission has voltage standards that the public utilities are required to meet..

 

[mivey]

The pubic utilities in Illinois are regulated by the Illinois Commerce Commission.

Then you have:

...for those that are regulated by the commissions

FWIW, Illinois is not the only state like that. But some states have member-regulated public utilities.

 

[Iron_Ben]

The pubic utilities in Illinois are regulated by the Illinois Commerce Commission. The type of corporation that runs the utility has nothing to do with this. The Commission has voltage standards that the public utilities are required to meet..

The voltage standards that 99 or maybe 100% of US utilities have to meet are not arbitrary. They're contained in ANSI C84.1. There is a Range A and a Range B, but as a practical matter you need remember only one arithmetic expression: +/- 5%. So a residential service needs to always be 114 to 126 (or 228 to 252) at the meter. A 480 service can range from 456 to 504 and be in tolerance. And so on.

 

[don_resqcapt19]

The voltage standards that 99 or maybe 100% of US utilities have to meet are not arbitrary. They're contained in ANSI C84.1. There is a Range A and a Range B, but as a practical matter you need remember only one arithmetic expression: +/- 5%. So a residential service needs to always be 114 to 126 (or 228 to 252) at the meter. A 480 service can range from 456 to 504 and be in tolerance. And so on.

Illinois state law says the residential service can be 113 to 127. I would expect that there is an agency in most states that sets the rules for public utilities just like the Illinois Commerce Commission does in Illinois.

 

[mivey]

The voltage standards that 99 or maybe 100% of US utilities have to meet are not arbitrary. They're contained in ANSI C84.1.

Not true. ANSI C84.1 is a voluntary standard and based on a survey of industry practices. However, many utilities choose to follow most of its recommendations and some are required to follow them.

 

[mivey]

I would expect that there is an agency in most states that sets the rules for public utilities just like the Illinois Commerce Commission does in Illinois.

If you are thinking a state agency, you would be wrong.

In most states, regulation for all investor-owned utilities (IOUs) takes place at the state level. There are a few cases where cities regulate the IOUs.

In most states, regulation of customer-owned utilities (COUs) is left to local governmental bodies and elected utility boards. So while there are many exceptions, state commissions generally do not regulate COUs.

In some states, the state commission fully regulates cooperatives. In a few cases the state commission has limited authority over municipal utilities.

 

[ptonsparky]

You guys get an "A" for patience, even if you apparently didn't answer the question.

 

[Terrier]

Losses in the service neutral

Losses in the service neutral

Is there a regulation outside of the NEC for Distribution Utility? Is it acceptable for the consumers to pay extra just because the utility uses a conductor that has large losses in the neutral?

If the conductor used by the utility has low conductivity, does it mean that the losses in the cable is being measured by their meter?

If the losses in the service neutral are on the utility side of the meter location (regardless of who owns the service conductors) will not be metered and not the direct responsibility of the customer ... we all know who ultimately pays for losses.

But, keep in mind, for losses to occur there has to be current, high currents on the neutral indicate a poor job the customer's (and his electrician's) part of balancing the loads.