Advice/ideas/thoughts for a country home drop/lateral.

[Jamesco]

I have a friend who has acreage out in the country in the planning stages for a new home or barn-dominium. The transformer and POCO pole are in the NE corner of the property and currently supplies a little storage shed. He is planning on building in the middle of the lot some 800-900 feet from the power supply.

If we trench, we are looking at approximately 1250 feet of trenching, 3 parallel runs of 250mcm CU or 400/500mcm AL with 200A total load, household voltage.

We could go overhead and shave off 300 feet, give-or-take, and use open-air conductors which allows greater ampacity but doesn't change voltage drop. I have no experience running overhead lines on poles. The guy says he has a gentleman neighbor that has a stinger for setting poles. If we went that route, how far apart between poles, recommended pole height for the distance, and sag?

We've discussed setting xfrmrs to step up then back down but the costs seem to equal out.

Is there another method I'm not seeing.

I'd appreciate any thoughts or ideas.

WOW! Sounds like a no brainier to me.
You need to convince your friend to give the POCO the easement rights to service "their", line, pole/s and transformer.
You might want to see what the cost would be for an underground feed and a pad mount transformer. Then your friend doesn't have to worry about removal of any trees for an overhead power line. Not only that, it will look a whole lot better.
.

 

[winnie]

He could always pay the piper for primary service, then he owns the medium voltage wires and transformer, no easements required but probably lots more $$ and hassle.

Or simply invest in off grid solar if the customer wants independence

 

[oldsparky52]

He could always pay the piper for primary service, then he owns the medium voltage wires and transformer, no easements required but probably lots more $$ and hassle.

Or simply invest in off grid solar if the customer wants independence

Do you have any idea of what those options would cost (I have no idea)?

 

[Cow]

You might want to see what the cost would be for an underground feed and a pad mount transformer. Then your friend doesn't have to worry about removal of any trees for an overhead power line. Not only that, it will look a whole lot better.

I agree with this.

I would ask the POCO for a cost for an underground line extension and padmount transformer. Offer to do the digging and backfilling. One of the POCO's we deal with over here, has us run the primary conduit for them and they just inspect it before backfill.

 

[electrofelon]

One of the POCO's we deal with over here, has us run the primary conduit for them and they just inspect it before backfill.

I'll one up you. One of the POCOS here let's the customer supply and run UG 15kv primary, POCO supplies transformer and makes it up. It's a sweet deal, although Much of their rural stuff is 4800 Delta so you do need Two CN cables (about $2/ ft each) vs one for if it was a wye system. The other POCO that doesn't do that, I think it's something like $8 per foot you have to pay them, and you dig the trench too.

 

[jusme123]

The overhead would run through the "forest" to the home site.

With trees possible falling on it, just a risk when it’s overhead

 

[Chamuit]

Thanks for the ideas. I see him tomorrow and will run your thoughts by him.

 

[Chamuit]

Do you have any idea of what those options would cost (I have no idea)?

The underground option (no panels) is just under $48K for just the materials. Almost $37 per foot. I haven't done any pricing for overhead.