main elect room location in multifamily building

[Elect2011]

Hi,

I have an apartment building horse shoe shaped and a parkinggarage in the middle. The apartment building is divided by fire walls into 3buildings (1,2,3) . The parking garage in standalone and it is not connected structurallyto the apartment building. Each of the Appt buildings will be fed from a 2000Ampswitchgear. Can I locate all my service equipments (switchgears) that will befeeding the meter stacks in each apartment buildings 1, 2, 3 in one big electrical room in the parking garage?OR I have to have a separate mainelectrical room in each Appt building and one at the garage?

:?

Thanks,

 

[Dennis Alwon]

If there are fire walls and each building is considered a separate building then I don't see why you couldn't do this. If the apts were considered one building then you could not do what you are proposing as there would be more then one feeder to the building. I believe it depends on how the unit is classified. I will bow to those with more experience with this than I .

 

[Elect2011]

they all one building, one main enterance with fire walls seperating it to 3 building. So does that mean I can locate all the service equipments in the garageelect room and then feed the meter stacks in each building? But doesn?t this violatethe code for access to service equipment?

 

[Johnmcca]

225.35 Access to Occupants

In a multiple-occupancy building, each occupant shall have
access to the occupant?s supply disconnecting means.

Exception: In a multiple-occupancy building where electric
supply and electrical maintenance are provided by the
building management and where these are under continuous
building management supervision, the supply disconnecting
means supplying more than one occupancy shall be permitted
to be accessible to authorized management personnel
only.

 

[cowboyjwc]

I think that you could do it either way. You're not really three buildings, you just are because of the building code.

What I would take into consideration is how you have to run your subfeeds. Not only do you have the 1hr unit to unit, but you have the two 2hr walls that you have to deal with.

 

[Smart $]

they all one building, one main enterance with fire walls seperating it to 3 building. So does that mean I can locate all the service equipments in the garageelect room and then feed the meter stacks in each building? But doesn?t this violatethe code for access to service equipment?

Under the NEC I believe you are dealing with one building, not three.

Occupants access to service equipment is not exactly what is required. The requirement is that they have access to the disconnecting means for their unit. From there...

I'm a little fuzzy on how you are going the feed the meter stacks. Anyway you go about it, you are looking at more than one feeder. If you fed the building with only one feeder, you may as well put the service equipment in the building and eliminate the feeder and building disconnect. Going with more than one feeder, I suggest you consult your AHJ regarding permission to run more than one feeder. Running more than one feeder is allowed by special permission. Refer to 225.30(B).