Need some ideas

[ceb58]

Situation: Fire department building with a 200amp meter base back to back with a 200amp MB panel.
They are in the process of building a separate building that will be office/storage. The plan for phase 2 is to add on around 8300sq ft for sleeping quarters, cooking and bays for more trucks to the existing building.
What they want is to upgrade to a 600amp service to handle the existing building with the add on and feed the separate building. This way they have only one meter for the entire property.
What I am thinking is to install a CT can next to the existing meter base. Come out of the right side and be prepared to switch out the meter base with a disco and change the ground/neutral bond in the existing 200 amp panel making it a sub panel when the power change over takes place to minimize power down time. Out of the left side I would come out of CT can with a gutter and set two 200 amp discos. One disco would feed the separate structure and the other would be used to feed the addition in phase 2 of the project. This way poco would only need one power outage to change over to CT can.
Any other suggestions?

 

[LarryFine]

Any other suggestions?

Nope. Your plan works for me. I was thinking "keep the existing panel as a sub" before I even finished reading your post.

 

[hurk27]

There is no need for discos on the first building (where the service is) for the second building if you are not entering this building, there is no requirement in the NEC for this, a disco is only required when you enter a building, so in essences, you can come out of your CT cabinet go right back into the ground, then treat the service on the other building just like it was a service which you would have to anyways, we do this all the time feeding out buildings, this way you only need 3-wires for single phase and 4 wires for 3-phase, and you save the cost of the disco. I was just about to say change the meter to a 320 with double lugs, but then I saw that you needed 600 amps, as for changing the first buildings main service panel to a sub-panel, I wouldn't even do that, just because you change the meter wouldn't require a disco to the panel, its still just inside right? just install a short pipe and LB to hit the existing panel, just have it ready to swap out fast.

Remember a meter is just a wide point in the service entrance conductors, so is a CT cabinet

Of course if it is the fire department wishes the by all means, but this just adds cost to something unnecessarily

 

[hurk27]

I know to some this sounds strange, but I'm always trying to save my customers as much money as I can, but one thing is for sure, I get a lot of repeat customers, and in the end we both always walk away with a smile, and to me that is what counts.

 

[hurk27]

Ok now that I read you OP a little more throughly I see the need for at least one disco, for the future addition but at least that would keep it down a little, sorry didn't see your need for future expansion:roll: