Combining Multi-Tenant Meter Sockets

Status
Not open for further replies.

wild-leg

Member
Location
Minnesota
I am bidding a job that involves removing partition walls to combine three out of four office suites to make an orthodontics cllinic. The customer would like the three units on one meter. Outside there is a GE meter stack module with four meters and four service disconnects (two 125A and two 200A breakers). I need to feed (2) existing 200A panelboards and (1) 125A panelboard from one meter. My thought was to bolt an additional 400A rated modular meter socket and 400A service disconnect next to the existing meter stack. I would then re-feed the (2) 200A panelboards from the new 400A service disconnect. The 125A panelboard could be re-fed from one of the 200A load centers. The quote for the meter module was very expensive. Any thoughts on how to combine these meters? Could I leave the metering as it is? Can (3) meters and (3) service disconnects serve one office suite? Thank you for your suggestions.
 
The NEC does not limit the number of meters that a tenant may have. Where I live there is no problem with using multiple meters for a single tenant, but I have read about situations where either local amendments (or interpretations) allow only one meter per tenant or here utilities required only one meter per tenant. You should check with the inspector and/or the utility.
 
You could consider replacing the meter bank with a new setup with just a meter and a 400 amp SUSE rated panelboard next to it with breakers to feed each existing panel in the building. Even if the AHJ is OK with leaving it as it is, the way POCO cost are going in some areas for the base charge/month for each meter, especially on commercial accounts, this can get expensive to pay for every month. On the other hand, if what is the possiblility that the premises would get divided back up again and then you need separate meters?
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top