Meter collar installation

O

ocoee

Member
Location
Golden Co
I was given a set of plans for a solar install ,grid tied with battery back up. Background. Existing underground service enters a meter at a residence from underground and then nipples directly into the 200 amp MDP. The MDP is where all the bonding takes place
9 I would prefer to leave it that way)

Design...
A meter collar is designed to be used as the "transfer switch". (not really a transfer switch rather a utility disconnect)

However the utility has not yet approved the meter collar for their meter. ( not uncommon) So we are going to add a meter can and collar down stream.

The plans show the following. Utility Meter> 200 amp disconnect>meter can w/meter collar>MDP. Can I eliminate the 200 disconnect in the plans set therefore eliminating having to rewire the MDP as a sub panel.
I would like to go. Utility meter> customer meter/metercollar>MDP. Not having to change the point of bonding would be nice.

I have never seen this but it may be possible The meter cans are both service rated. Is there any reason two meters can't be installed before entering the MDP?

Thanks in advance
G-
 
Before I retired (from the utility side), I looked at this class opf device a number of times, and based on input from some of our electrical inspectors and fire departments, we would not approve these "meter base tap devices that are located in the jaws of the meter" that were promoted for plug-in-electric vehicles, solar power connections, surge arresters, and/or standby generator connections. A vocal group of inspectors did not want them for a number of reasons:
  • A few felt that to be compliant, the property owner would need to relocate their main disconnect switch to the meter pan (outdoor disconnects have not been common in our service territories, but they felt that such alterations would expose the customer's service to any new requirments (NEC 230-85(A)(1))), and the neutral/ground separation would need to occur there.
  • They pushed the meter out from the house too far, and meters being hit when the meter base is adjacent to a driveway was already a problem.
  • They are installed before the MDP, so the ground and neutral are not separable at this point, meaning portable generators would need to be four-wired (hot, hot, neutral, ground), which many are not.
  • It creates a second facility disconnect switch that is remote from the MDP disconnects ... it would need to be labeled as such (both locations).
  • For the generator transfer switch application, they felt there was no way of ensuring that the load transferred to the backup generator was limited to the capacity of that generator.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top