Outside feeder and service at same building

[hmspe]

Just checking to see if I'm overlooking anything. I have an out of state design project that's adding a cell tower at a mini-storage. The mini-storage has 3 buildings, and I'm guessing from the pictures at mapquest.com that the building this goes in is supplied by an outside feeder. I have asked the client to confirm. They was a separate service for the cell equipment, which will be in one of the storage spaces. NEC 225 says only one outside feeder. NEC 230 says only one service. I'm not finding anything that prohibits one outside feeder plus one service. I think it's a very bad idea to have both an outside feeder and a service, and I think the intent of the code is to have one or the other, but I'm not sure it's a code violation based on the actual text. Any thoughts?

Martin

 

[augie47]

Is POCO actually goimng to supply two services ???
Locally, they would only provide 1 service to all the buildings/spaces/ and simply meter them independently.
If it is actually two services, do they both have the same characistics ?

 

[hmspe]

Is POCO actually goimng to supply two services ???
Locally, they would only provide 1 service to all the buildings/spaces/ and simply meter them independently.
If it is actually two services, do they both have the same characistics ?

PG&E supplied a fault current letter, so I assume so. I wasn't involved in getting the letter (initial submittal was rejected because there was no Title 24 documentation) so I don't know exactly what information was given to PG&E.

The existing service is on building #1. The cell equipment goes in building #3, which presently has an outside feeder from building #1. Adding a second meter at the service on building #1 to supply just the cell equipment would mean two outside feeders to building #3 due to separate metering.

Not sure on the same characteristics question yet, but even if they are different characteristics there's still the question of an outside feeder and a service feeding the same building. What if the neutrals for the two systems get interconnected? Two bonding jumpers on different buildings would be in the system. The cell site contractor could probably keep things straight, but what about the contractor that comes in next year when they make a change to the cell system and the contractor knows nothing about the distribution system?

 

[augie47]

most interesting situation.. as with most NEC stuff, wording can be tricky, can't it . Even if one was a feeder, you could say that 230.2 prohibited because they originate from two services. Definitely going to be an AHJ situation. The "different characteristics" appears to be the only "out" other than "special permission".

 

[hmspe]

I just got word that they will request special permission for this. Looks like a few plaques will be in order...