Do owners typically pay utility for changes such as voltage changes or different transformer installation?

[Cartoon1]

Do owners typically pay utility a fee for example if a residential building was being fed with a 208/120V 3 phase pole mounted transformer and the building gets changed into a commercial type that requires 240/120 3 phase. Does the owner typically have to pay utility for that request or do they make change on their side without a fee? Also, what about bigger things like for example requiring a bigger transformer to support a building higher load? Is there a typical cost percentage that the utility requires the owner to pay? thank you!

 

[electrofelon]

Do owners typically pay utility a fee for example if a residential building was being fed with a 208/120V 3 phase pole mounted transformer and the building gets changed into a commercial type that requires 240/120 3 phase. Does the owner typically have to pay utility for that request or do they make change on their side without a fee? Also, what about bigger things like for example requiring a bigger transformer to support a building higher load? Is there a typical cost percentage that the utility requires the owner to pay? thank you!

These details are probably buried in the utility's tariff somewhere. In my experience, it's like throwing a dart blind trying to figure out what the utility will do for free or charge for. A few years ago I upgraded a single phase 200 amp service to 400 amp 120 208 3 phase and the utility did it for free. Another time I added a second service, 200 amp 480 volt and they charged $16,500

 

[Cartoon1]

These details are probably buried in the utility's tariff somewhere. In my experience, it's like throwing a dart blind trying to figure out what the utility will do for free or charge for. A few years ago I upgraded a single phase 200 amp service to 400 amp 120 208 3 phase and the utility did it for free. Another time I added a second service, 200 amp 480 volt and they charged $16,500

Thanks! utility here is not very responsive. I have a building that was originally commercial type project that is being fed at 240/120 3 phase and the building is being converted into residential type building. I like to do 208/120 3 phase for these type of residential buildings because of its efficiency. But in this particular case i do not want the owner to pay an extra fee to get 208V instead of 240V from the utility .

 

[electrofelon]

Thanks! utility here is not very responsive. I have a building that was originally commercial type project that is being fed at 240/120 3 phase and the building is being converted into residential type building. I like to do 208/120 3 phase for these type of residential buildings because of its efficiency. But in this particular case i do not want the owner to pay an extra fee to get 208V instead of 240V from the utility .

Depending on some details such as how much you can balance the load and/or how much imbalance the utility and your equipment will allow?, I actually prefer 120 240 3 phase over 120/208Y. Can you just send 240 single phase to the apartments?

 

[augie47]

Locally POCOs pretty much look at it from a cost-benefit standpoint. Changes to services that result in increased revenue (200 amp to 400 amp) are often addressed at little or no cost to the customer. Added voltages or voltage changes normally result in a charge.

 

[tom baker]

Locally POCOs pretty much look at it from a cost-benefit standpoint. Changes to services that result in increased revenue (200 amp to 400 amp) are often addressed at little or no cost to the customer. Added voltages or voltage changes normally result in a charge.

Same here

 

[Cartoon1]

Depending on some details such as how much you can balance the load and/or how much imbalance the utility and your equipment will allow?, I actually prefer 120 240 3 phase over 120/208Y. Can you just send 240 single phase to the apartments?

I need 3 phase for the A/C equipment they want unfortunately

 

[LarryFine]

I need 3 phase for the A/C equipment they want unfortunately

As long as the AC can handle 208v or 240v, you can switch supplies or stick with what you have now.

If you have 120/240v 3ph, you have a high-leg delta, which suits both 1ph and 3ph loads perfectly well.

 

[curt swartz]

I need 3 phase for the A/C equipment they want

Is this going to be a single large home or multi-unit?

3 phase 208Y/120 is common for multi unit services but the individual units are single phase. If you are planning to have a 3 phase meter the utility might charge a higher rate.

Also what do you mean by the efficiency of 3 phase?

 

[electrofelon]

I need 3 phase for the A/C equipment they want unfortunately

Just reiterating what Larry said but yeah if you have three phase 240 (I'm assuming it's four wire, high leg Delta) then you'll have the three phase you need and you can just send single phase to the units. I prefer the higher voltage of the 240 3 phase over the 208 personally.

 

[don_resqcapt19]

If the utility costs are too much for them to provide you the voltage you want, you could install a customer owned transformer on the load side of the service disconnect to change the voltage.

 

[paulengr]

Do owners typically pay utility a fee for example if a residential building was being fed with a 208/120V 3 phase pole mounted transformer and the building gets changed into a commercial type that requires 240/120 3 phase. Does the owner typically have to pay utility for that request or do they make change on their side without a fee? Also, what about bigger things like for example requiring a bigger transformer to support a building higher load? Is there a typical cost percentage that the utility requires the owner to pay? thank you!

Yes but…

Some areas/utilities don’t charge if it’s a significant upgrade because it falls into the same category as new service.

Others typically just add it to the bill over time. So if the cost is X, they charge you say X/120 for 10 years.

And often if it’s a big enough system and you are say an industrial site you can build your own substation cheaper and get fed at a distribution rate like a miniature local utility.

I have seen/worked with all three.