wcotter
Member
- Location
- Oroville, CA USA
First posting on the Forum - hunted up and down first to see if I could find the answer, but to no avail…
Our solar contracting company is starting to install standby generators, and we’re trying to figure out a connection solution that is acceptable to the local AHJ. Most of the service entrance panels in our area are combination meter mains - this poses a connection problem because normally the automatic whole house transfer switch that connects the generator to the house would be between the meter and the distribution panel so it can switch between utility or generator power for the house.
We’d like to simply put a new meter socket above the existing meter main, route out from the NEW meter to the Service Entrance rated transfer switch (which has a properly sized utility disconnect), and then back into the main breaker on the existing meter main, with the meter removed and blanked over. We understand that if the breaker is hard bussed to the original meter socket we would need to wire into the empty meter socket and jump the jaws.
The AHJ’s concern is that since the original meter main is no longer service entrance equipment and is now distribution equipment, it might violate the UL listing. I have talked to all the electricians on our staff, as well as other respected electricians who have performed lots of work in our local jurisdiction, and they are firmly convinced that since the panel is now simply a subpanel, there should not be a UL violation.
I’m hoping to get some information to validate that switching the existing meter main to a subpanel is generally acceptable. We are properly sizing the generators and they are capable of running the entire house (hence the whole house transfer switches); the other option that the AHJ suggests of routing every circuit in the house to a separate essential loads sub panel is not very appealing since again we are not dealing with powering essential circuits but the entire house.
Any input or suggestions would be appreciated.
Our solar contracting company is starting to install standby generators, and we’re trying to figure out a connection solution that is acceptable to the local AHJ. Most of the service entrance panels in our area are combination meter mains - this poses a connection problem because normally the automatic whole house transfer switch that connects the generator to the house would be between the meter and the distribution panel so it can switch between utility or generator power for the house.
We’d like to simply put a new meter socket above the existing meter main, route out from the NEW meter to the Service Entrance rated transfer switch (which has a properly sized utility disconnect), and then back into the main breaker on the existing meter main, with the meter removed and blanked over. We understand that if the breaker is hard bussed to the original meter socket we would need to wire into the empty meter socket and jump the jaws.
The AHJ’s concern is that since the original meter main is no longer service entrance equipment and is now distribution equipment, it might violate the UL listing. I have talked to all the electricians on our staff, as well as other respected electricians who have performed lots of work in our local jurisdiction, and they are firmly convinced that since the panel is now simply a subpanel, there should not be a UL violation.
I’m hoping to get some information to validate that switching the existing meter main to a subpanel is generally acceptable. We are properly sizing the generators and they are capable of running the entire house (hence the whole house transfer switches); the other option that the AHJ suggests of routing every circuit in the house to a separate essential loads sub panel is not very appealing since again we are not dealing with powering essential circuits but the entire house.
Any input or suggestions would be appreciated.
