Customer is extending industrial service. There is an OH primary to site with three 100 kVA pots on the pole. Can the primary metering equipment be placed on the same pole or does it have to be on a dedicated pole??? POCO wants to install a second pole for the metering and charge customer for doing so to tune of $6550.
Primary Metering.......
- Thread starter dionysius
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Iron_Ben
Senior Member
- Location
- Lancaster, PA
We wouldn't even consider trying to install primary metering on a pole with three 100 kva transformers on it. Dedicated new pole; a no brainer for us. And $6550 doesn't sound like a bad price, although I don't know any of the particulars.
Why not. It is totally doable and saves resources?????
Iron_Ben
Senior Member
- Location
- Lancaster, PA
What makes you say it is "totally doable"? Our primary metering at 13.2 kv or 34.5 kv would include 3 CT's and 3 PT's or three combo oil filled CT/PT units. Also three PKR type bypass disconnect switches and a lot of jumpers. There's simply no place to put all that at the top of a pole that already has three 100 kva transformers and associated high side and low side wiring. The in-the-field decision makers at electric utility companies aren't always right, but when it comes to judging what belongs at the top of a pole and what doesn't, along with what's safe and what's not, they know.
big john
Senior Member
- Location
- Portland, ME
Yeah, without seeing it I can't imagine there would be space for that on a single pole, even if these are small encapsulated transformers.
The way I usually see it is a whole separate pole with an arm for CTs an arm for jacks, and then 2 or 3 PTs.
The way I usually see it is a whole separate pole with an arm for CTs an arm for jacks, and then 2 or 3 PTs.
Could you lower the Pigs and "raise" the effective height with an extender sleeve??? This would increase the space available.
- Location
- Illinois
- Occupation
- retired electrician
This is the utilities call. Around here, all of the utilities require a separate pole for metering equipment, no matter it is a primary or secondary meter.
meternerd
Senior Member
- Location
- Athol, ID
- Occupation
- retired water & electric utility electrician, meter/relay tech
I agree....no room. Primary metering, regardless of voltage, requires 3 PT's and 3 CT's plus associated cutouts for most 3P, 4W distribution primary metering. Just no room on a pole for 3 100 KVA transformers AND metering. (3) 100 KVA would be pretty large by itself, on one pole. It's always up to the utility to decide, though. Climbing space, clearances, weight , etc. are all factors. Where I worked, metering always got its own pole with a riser or pole mount cabinet for the meter/test switch.
- Location
- Massachusetts
Around here one of the utilities reasons for separate poles is it is easier to repair if a pole gets hit. If you use only one pole you will need both meter crews and linemen on site to replace.
It is this same reason they will not allow us to hang a meter on a pad mount transformer.
peter d
Senior Member
- Location
- New England
The poco that serves my area does not put 3 100kva transformers on a pole. They require padmount for sure. I know it's common in other areas however. 
Steve Sink
Member
- Location
- NC
We always used a second pole in my neck of the woods for primary metering equipment.
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