4 apartment unit's 1-200a panel

M

mannyb

Senior Member
Location
Florida
Occupation
Electrician
I visited an apartment complex today. The build had 8 units being served by 2-250a main breaker panels. 4 units per panel. The apartments had emondmons and the old fashion glass meter monitoring power consumption for utilities not ones provide by utilities. These apartments at one point was all utilities paid.

The customer wants to separate the 4 units for each panel into 4 separate panels, one for each unit and monitor. What would be the best way to approach the customer with a solution?
 
Put 8 sub panels in 4 of them fed from each panel. Move circuits from each main panel into the sub panels. I don't know about the Eamondeamons and how the metering will work if that is legal.
 
Eddie702 said:
Put 8 sub panels in 4 of them fed from each panel. Move circuits from each main panel into the sub panels. I don't know about the Eamondeamons and how the metering will work if that is legal.
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Would extending these circuits require bring equipment to current code?
 
What equipment? If the existing service is ok I would think that would be fine. As far as reconnecting the branch circuits that should be ok as well.
 
If it were me, I would put in a 600A or 800A fused disconnect and bused section to a bunch of 100A meter mains and then feeder to the existing branch circuit panel boards in each unit using the old wire for that (or as much of it as you can with splices and junction boxes). Note, some of the existing feeder wire might be too undersized for a 100A OCPD and might require a 60A or similar OCPD in the meter main.

SQ footage will be mostly the same. Utility will meter each unit. Single building disconnect. Little more service side wiring and possibly utility upgrade costs. Fuses in the fused disconnect can be reduced but I find leaving it large and oversized won't change much. Just a little more head room for your mark ups. You can sell him on adding car chargers or something.

You can also go to 3ph 120/208 with the same idea and just split the apartments on different "two pole" circuits.
 
I didn't share enough info. Its an old complex. There are 6 multi family units that are served by 1- 1200a metered bussed weather head. You have 1-200a feeder with 3/0 aluminum that feeds 2-200a panel. Each of those panels feeds 4-Individual units. Basically 1-200a feeder serves 8 units consisting of 2-200a panels. The set up is a mess. Each unit is served with 2 or 3 circuits plus over and dryer. Surprisingly its worked over years. Couldn't attach photos.

The idea is to put each unit on its own panel and meter them individually. It appears the original design was all bills paid which is why there is only 1 utility meter.
 
hillbilly1 said:
Many states will allow only utilities to sell power, not landlords. That was an issue with public EV stations, that had to be changed in the state legislature's.
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I looked into this a while back and im pretty sure no states prohibit sub metering. If you can find a reference for one that does, by all means send it along. Some states do regulate it which sometimes means no "marking it up" or codifying what fees can be added.
 
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