200 amp panel and main breaker with 100 amp service

[729Zoom]

I have 100 amp service from the utility pole and had an emergency repair on my 45 year old 100 amp panel when a bus bar went bad. My electrician advised me to get a 200 amp solar panel so I would not need to change the panel again if I decided to upgrade. The panel has all 200 amp wiring and a 200 amp main breaker. He claims it is not a code violation to have a 200 amp main breaker with a 100 amp service (with small wires that I am sure are not even rated for 100 amps) but I read he should have used a 100 amp main breaker. He laughs at me and says "I don't know where you get this" when I told him I read it was a serious code violation and safety hazard. Is he right or do I need to demand he change the breaker to 100 amps?

 

[retirede]

Service entrance conductors are sized based on the calculated load, not the main breaker.

 

[infinity]

Is he right or do I need to demand he change the breaker to 100 amps?

If the conductors feeding the service are only rated for 100 amps then you cannot use a 200 amp OCPD.

 

[ptonsparky]

Depends. Is the utility drop 100 amp but everything he is responsible for 200?

 

[infinity]

More info is needed but if they left the 100 amp service conductors and changed the original OCPD from 100 to 200 then there is a violation of 230.90(A).

230.90(A) Ungrounded Conductor.
Such protection shall be provided by an overcurrent device in series with each ungrounded service conductor that has a rating or setting not higher than the ampacity of the conductor

 

[suemarkp]

Meter main installs typically dont have service entrance conductors, so a 200A one would be OK. I you have separate conductors from meter to panel, those need to be rated 200A (or within 200A round up) if landed in a 200A main.

 

[herding_cats]

you can oversize the panel but not the OCPD.