2000 amp service

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jetlag

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Eatonton, Georgia
would like some advise on easiest and least expensive way to put a 2000 amp service into an existing building. I have in mind that it might be to install 5, 400 amp panels inside with the service entrance for each one coming thru the wall and down to the panels. Outside would be a ct meter for the poco. I was hoping also to to parallel 2/0 copper for each one instead of using 400 a conductors. I dont believe I have to have outside disconnects with this. thanks for any replies
 
jetlag said:
easiest and least expensive way to put a 2000 amp service into an existing building.
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Oxymoron???? In an existing building the easiest would be to simply put it in a new location instead of the existing location - so as not to be under the gun IMO. Least expensive - get really friendly with your inside sales guy and get the best deal you can on nema 1 switch gear you can bolt together in a day...
 
Also, what kind of occupancy is the building? Is all this for one area, or is it needing to be broken up for tenants in a strip mall?
 
Will try to answer replies all in one. It is for a single tennant. The voltage is 240 3 ph . The owner is moving a factory from one city to another. The owner is a good customer but knows little about electricity. I will have to travel to determine the type of equiptment and amp loads. He has not found a building yet but will probably be an old warehouse with 200 amp service. I would relocate the service
 
Yeah, you really need to find out what he's running. I'd hate for you to find out he's got some 400 or 600 amp equipment, and you've only installed a bunch of 400 amp panels, or he wants to power a couple 800 amp bus ducts, etc.

I vote for a switchgear lineup at the moment. You can darned near get your load side breakers for free when you buy a package like that. Really hard to say without knowing what all sorts of equipment he's got there.
 
Used switchgear..... Take the old service to new location or buy some new to you gear - that is if the voltage and system are available in the new location.... POCO fees may determine the final outcome.
 
I have not really questioned him any on the type of equiptment yet so probably need to repost again later when I go visit the factory he plans to move . It might be 440 volts he doesnt even know.
 
If you're putting that kind of load into an existing structure, you'll also need to coordinate with the POCO to up the transformer as well.

You may luck out and be able to dismantle the existing service and rebuild the new one before he moves in.... that will save a lot of pressure.
 
480sparky said:
You may luck out and be able to dismantle the existing service and rebuild the new one before he moves in.... that will save a lot of pressure.
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if i was a landlord, and my tenant dismantled my switchgear and took it with him, i would be more than a little upset :roll:

(i know- we dont know the specifics, the guy could own the building)
 
wireguru said:
if i was a landlord, and my tenant dismantled my switchgear and took it with him, i would be more than a little upset :roll:

(i know- we dont know the specifics, the guy could own the building)
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Depends - I've done it a few times for a glass guy - he kept moving around I installed his service 3X's in 3 buildings as a "tenant improvment" and put a new service same as the one that was there when he got there when he left. The building didnt pay to put it there, or any other equipment - it belonged to the tenant.
 
peter d said:
LOL. "Cheap and easy" aren't the first things that come to mind when building a 2000 amp service. :D
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It wont be cheap or easy ,I agree with you there but some ways are more expensive and harder than others and I assumed everyone would know thats what I meant.
 
wireguru said:
if i was a landlord, and my tenant dismantled my switchgear and took it with him, i would be more than a little upset :roll:

(i know- we dont know the specifics, the guy could own the building)
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I was referring to the new building, not the old one.
 
jetlag said:
It might be 440 volts he doesnt even know.
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I was recently in a factory-- well, a huge machine shop "factory"-- (they roll out 900+ helicopter engines per week) and they had equipment of all sizes and voltages all along their "line". The building voltage was 120/208 and they used transformers at nearly every cnc machine to step the voltage up to whatever it needed. Don't know why they didn't just get a higher voltage coming in, I suppose it was an existing service when they moved in and didn't change it.

(we were moving 500' of 120/208 3o 4-wire bus duct five feet over and 8 feet higher to make room for new stuff. Good three days of work there with our crews.)
 
e57 said:
Depends - I've done it a few times for a glass guy - he kept moving around I installed his service 3X's in 3 buildings as a "tenant improvment" and put a new service same as the one that was there when he got there when he left. The building didnt pay to put it there, or any other equipment - it belonged to the tenant.
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All posts have been helpful, thats a good point if he installed his present service then he might can take it with him and return building to original service. I asked him the other day if he could get by with 1200 amps and he said maybe. I doubt he even needs 2000 amps thats a lot of juice, Will make another post when I get more info.
 
jetlag said:
All posts have been helpful, thats a good point if he installed his present service then he might can take it with him and return building to original service. I asked him the other day if he could get by with 1200 amps and he said maybe. I doubt he even needs 2000 amps thats a lot of juice, Will make another post when I get more info.
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depends...if he's in a 480v building now, with 480V equipment and he goes to a 208V building....he's gonna need lots of power and transformers...
 
jetlag said:
I asked him the other day if he could get by with 1200 amps and he said maybe. I doubt he even needs 2000 amps thats a lot of juice, Will make another post when I get more info.
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How would you know anyhow? Maybe he really needs 5000 amps?
 
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