Load Necessity for a core and shell...

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wrobotronic

wrobotronic

Senior Member
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Colorado
Hello,
Is there a code requirement to have a load connected to the load side of a meter housing? if said housing is not yet being used?

I have a 7-11 that has 3 more tenant spaces. All four meters (7-11 is using CTs) are tapped from a 1200A bus gutter. The one line is being redrawn to eliminate the panels at the other 3 units. It is only showing that the meter housings are being set and the line side of the meter connected. My gut tells me this is ok since no conductors are being installed on the load side of the meters and they are labeled as future use. Basically they are changing the One line to allow for the 7-11 to open and permit the other 3 units separately.

Thank you all so very much for your help as always,
Cheers!!!
 
I can see an AHJ requirement for some electrical outlet in a space before a certificate of occupancy can be issued for that space, but it would not have to come from a particular meter.
But I don't think that is in the NEC.
Just installing an unused meter can and connecting the line side is not, IMHO, an NEC violation.
POCO may weigh in on that too.


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wrobotronic said:
It is only showing that the meter housings are being set and the line side of the meter connected. My gut tells me this is ok since no conductors are being installed on the load side of the meters and they are labeled as future use. Basically they are changing the One line to allow for the 7-11 to open and permit the other 3 units separately.

Thank you all so very much for your help as always,
Cheers!!!
Click to expand...

Why would this be a problem?

This is common in any multi-unit commercial building, tenants come and go, walls are moved, meter positions go unused etc.

What we do run into is a requirement to provide minimum illumination in the vacant areas, usually we come off a landlord panel for those temp lights.
 
I don't think this is the exact answer, but I've seen many empty meter sockets. They are just blanked off with a clear plastic cover.
I've seen where two stores got combined into one, with one blanked off.
I've seen banks of like 15 meters with 14 apartments and one blanked off.
I've seen in condo buildings where two units get combined into one. The just blank off the unused space.
Thanks
Mike
 
Meter sockets are just point in service or feeder conductors to insert the meter. They are not disconnecting means, nor does the presence of a meter socket necessarily require a meter to be present. POCO's usually have some say in what they will or will not allow if the socket is fed with non metered supply conductors from their system - usually it either gets a meter or a blank cover and a seal to minimize tampering and theft of services.

If you build a five occupant facility and install a metering center with six sockets - one of them will typically be blanked and sealed. Should there be additions someday that can utilize that sixth socket - they will put it to use. If it is supplying part of same occupancy as one of the other meters, there is no NEC violation unless it is a situation where a second feed to that occupancy would otherwise be prohibited even if there wasn't a meter involved. (think multiple feeders to a separate building to come up with possibilities for this one) There likely is multiple electric bills from POCO if you have multiple meters supplying same occupant. Some POCO may allow it, some may not, NEC just sees it as either multiple service conductors or feeders depending on where the service disconnecting means is located.

If you have multiple occupant building, each space generally has separate occupancy certification requirements. Some places occupants change frequently, they don't shut down the entire "strip mall" because one occupant went out of business, they shut down the space that occupant was using. Some places get built with no tenant in some of the spaces initially - no different then if a tenant happend to move out - that place will get a final inspection for occupancy purposes when someone does lease the space, It may get somewhat of a temporary general construction occupancy permit for initial construction though. This might even allow general lighting to be energized, you just might need another permit someday when someone wants to change things when they move in.
 
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