Sharing a commercial PV system with another property or building

[earshavewalls]

One of our local electrical contractors just sent this question in an email:

"I have a customer who is considering buying a building that has a 250Kw solar array on the roof, this building happens to be next door to his existing business that is appx. 50,000 sq. feet, it is a manufacturing facility and is a pig it eats a lot of electricity. He wants to know if it is possible to pull a permit to pull power from the inverter in the building he is considering buying and feeding his existing business, this would entail trenching the parking lot and installling a couple conduits and feeder wires to feed the main switchgear. I am also going to call Edison and see if they approve, let me know your thoughts on this."

I cannot find any code that permits or prohibits this. I have a gut feeling that this just is not right, but cannot locate the code or codes that would prohibit this installation. I honestly think it would be less expensive to install a PV system on the manufacturing building than buying the building next door and using its PV system.

I would appreciate some help from some of the other code experts out there........where do I hang my hat on this one?

 

[earshavewalls]

Well, a few lookers, but not any takers on this subject? Then I'll add what I have learned.....

I cannot locate any electrical code or other ordinance that would disallow this installation, but I also could not find anything that specifically permits it, either. One main issue is that if you are providing power to one building from another building's service, both buildings need to be under single ownership and management. This individual would need to do a lot line adjustment to merge the two properties into a single property, first.

Then the issue is whether or not it is legal to have two sources of power, or basically two services for the second building. This is only allowed under specific circumstances listed in 230.1(A), and one of those specific circumstances is "Parallel power production systems". I believe that this was intended to mean systems that are installed on or directly for a building, but nothing in the code indicates that the parallel power production cannot come from a system on another building.

It is looking more and more like this installation could be allowable under certain conditions.

I would still like some input from some of the other code folks out there.....come on......don't be shy or afraid.....this is new to most of us!

 

[defears]

If it is turned into one property then the next call should be the poco to make sure of their codes. Otherwise it's just like any other generator install.

 

[electrofelon]

I see no issues in the NEC, why would you think there would be? Generally the NEC doesnt say what you can do, it says what you cant do. Unless I am misunderstanding what you are proposing, I dont agree that you are supplying one building from another buildings service, which in generally yes is disallowed - having a building served by two services or feeders. But of course we can have two sources of supply, think generators, solar systems, wind systems.

The solar system would be grid tied to the second building and have nothing to do with the first buildings electrical system. I suppose one could divide up the strings and have a portion feed each building with seperate inverters, but I gather that is not what they plan to do.

 

[BillK-AZ]

I understand that in many states the transport of electrical power across property lines is reserved for regulated utility companies.

 

[eric9822]

One main issue is that if you are providing power to one building from another building's service, both buildings need to be under single ownership and management. This individual would need to do a lot line adjustment to merge the two properties into a single property, first.

I am not sure that is entirely true. We own 2 lots with multiple buildings. Lot one has a building that has a PV system installed on the roof with the inverters on the ground in the same lot. The output of the inverters runs across to a substation that sits in lot 2 adjacent to the other buildings in lot 2. Same owner, different lots.

 

[earshavewalls]

The reason for the original post and for the follow up is that we have not seen anything like this yet. Whenever I hear or see anything I have not seen or heard before, I ask questions to educate myself and to make sure that I properly apply these wonderful Codes.
Now that I have been going through this for a few days of thought and research (off and on), it is becoming more and more apparent that this could be a legal installation.
The issue of property lines is another thing. I don't know the complete history the instance you are mentioning, eric9822, but in our jurisdiction, if you share a utility source among buildings, you must be on the same property, under the same ownership and management. This appears to be the only thing out of the ordinary that this customer would need to do once he purchases the building adjacent to his existing building, and from my conversations with the contractor, this is exactly what the future owner intends to do.

Thanks for the input, folks. I respect and appreciate the opinions expressed on this site. That is why I come here, for fresh outlooks and multiple viewpoints.