Building Fed w/ 240 single Phase, add 480V feeder?

Sparky2791

Senior Member
Location
Northeast, PA
Occupation
Electrical Design
I have a project with a concession stand that has a 240V, single phase service. The concession stand is between 2 Tennis courts. Near the building (About 150' away) is a 277/480V panel for different service on site, this is an athletic complex. They want to add lights to the Tennis Courts. The 240V service is not large enough to handle the load. Am I permitted to bring a 277/480V feeder to the building to feed a panel where I can serve the lighting and some additional electric heaters they want to add?
 
225.30(E) would allow it.
That is the section that had me scratching my head because it applies when more than one feeder or branch circuit is supplying a single building or structure. In my example, the building would be supplied with a service , directly from the POCO, and a feeder from a panel that is part of a different service so the building is only being fed with one feeder.

Is it acceptable to have a feeder supplying a building that has a service. The different characteristics (277/480) helps but this seems an odd situation not fully covered by the NEC or I am just missing it.

Thanks!
 
You might look into the monthly charges for the 240 service, vs the annual transformer kwh losses of a 480:240 transformer, abandoning the 240 service and installing a 480:240 transformer might be more economical.
 
For the 2026 NEC I attempted to get the CMPs behind Articles 225 and 230 to coordinate on whether it is acceptable to have a building supplied by both one service and one feeder. They each declined to change their articles at all, on the basis that Article 225 only covers feeders and so shouldn't mention services, and vice versa.

My conclusion is that therefore it's fine for any building to be be supplied by one feeder and one service, even at the same voltage. There is certainly nothing in the NEC that explicitly prohibits it.

Cheers, Wayne
 
Is there a reason why you need to land on the building before refeeding the lights? Are they currently 120V and you are trying to tie into the existing conduit?

Where are the time clocks?

Try intercepting the UG run with splices in a hand hole and small fuse D/Cs at the time clock. 240.21(B)(5) If the time clock is at the tennis courts and not on the building.
 
You might look into the monthly charges for the 240 service, vs the annual transformer kwh losses of a 480:240 transformer, abandoning the 240 service and installing a 480:240 transformer might be more economical.
This is a 'band aid' situation. The 480V panel has limited capacity available too. One of those, what are our options to do this quick and cheap clients. Not one of those , what is the right way to do this clients. So, offering options.
 
You might look into the monthly charges for the 240 service, vs the annual transformer kwh losses of a 480:240 transformer, abandoning the 240 service and installing a 480:240 transformer might be more economical.
Probably the biggest load in there is the deep fryer, and that might be capable of being reconfigured to 480. If so the transformer needed might be a 10 KVA at most
 
For the 2026 NEC I attempted to get the CMPs behind Articles 225 and 230 to coordinate on whether it is acceptable to have a building supplied by both one service and one feeder. They each declined to change their articles at all, on the basis that Article 225 only covers feeders and so shouldn't mention services, and vice versa.

My conclusion is that therefore it's fine for any building to be be supplied by one feeder and one service, even at the same voltage. There is certainly nothing in the NEC that explicitly prohibits it.

Cheers, Wayne
Glad I am not the only one who feels that way about those 2 Code sections and the ambiguity it leaves in these situations! As always AHJ could 'gripe' but I would challenge them to point to the section of the code that prohibits it. Thanks for the reply!
 
For the 2026 NEC I attempted to get the CMPs behind Articles 225 and 230 to coordinate on whether it is acceptable to have a building supplied by both one service and one feeder. They each declined to change their articles at all, on the basis that Article 225 only covers feeders and so shouldn't mention services, and vice versa.

My conclusion is that therefore it's fine for any building to be be supplied by one feeder and one service, even at the same voltage. There is certainly nothing in the NEC that explicitly prohibits it.

Cheers, Wayne
What was their panel statement? Would the disconnects need to be grouped?
 
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