Sub-metering over 1000 dwelling units

[Tainted]

Suppose a building wants to sub-meter over 1000 dwelling units, who handles the billing? Do buildings usually hire a middle man to handle all of that? Also what kind of sub-metering system you would recommend?

 

[augie47]

For step 1 I would suggest reviewing the attached for legal restrictions and requirements:

Utility Submetering

overview of utility submetering policies, including a chart of existing state laws, statutes, regulations and rulings concerning metering.

www.ncsl.org

 

[Tainted]

For step 1 I would suggest reviewing the attached for legal restrictions and requirements:

Utility Submetering

overview of utility submetering policies, including a chart of existing state laws, statutes, regulations and rulings concerning metering.

www.ncsl.org

Do buildings hire middle man to handle billing in accordance with the legal restrictions and requirements? It's legal in NYC to submeter but it cannot cost more than what the utility would charge for

 

[infinity]

Yes the building owner hires a third party company to handle the billing. They also have another company come in and do testing of a percentage of units to enure that the billing is correct. We recently completed two apartment towers with about 780 units. The company they used is in Texas.

Home - Minol

minolusa.com

 

[Tainted]

Yes the building owner hires a third party company to handle the billing. They also have another company come in and do testing of a percentage of units to enure that the billing is correct. We recently completed two apartment towers with about 780 units. The company they used is in Texas.

Home - Minol

minolusa.com

Thanks, what sub metering system did the building use? If the meter billing company is located in Texas and the project is in NY, how do they gather all the info such as kWh to bill the tenants? And does the billing company also do the testing? Where can I find a company to do the testing of a percentage of units?

reason I ask is because it might be a potential project I'll be doing in the future.

 

[Tainted]

If I'm the engineer designing a sub-metering system, could I choose any sub-metering system even if it is not recognized by the sub-meter billing company or would I have to do the design based on their standards?

 

[zbang]

I'd be looking for multiple billing companies to see which metering systems they support, might be their own. Just poking around in google turned up a fair number of pages to start with.

 

[Tainted]

I'd be looking for multiple billing companies to see which metering systems they support, might be their own. Just poking around in google turned up a fair number of pages to start with.

I'm having a hard time finding these companies... Is there any list from NYC that you found?

 

[zbang]

I just searched "apartment utility submetering" and started reading, you may need to take an hour or so tracking things down.

 

[tom baker]

Seems like there would be an association that could be asked, building owners management association, rental association….

 

[Todd0x1]

Also remember the billing companies are essentially locked in for life and get a monthly service charge on top of the usage charges. I would be looking for what company is going to pay the most to get 1000 billing accounts.

 

[infinity]

We used Eaton equipment provided by Benfield Control System in Mount Vernon, NY.

https://www.eaton.com/content/dam/eaton/products/low-voltage-power-distribution-controls-systems/power-energy-meters/power-xpert-multi-point-meter/wireless-multi-point-energy-submetering-wp026001en.pdf

Account Unavailable

 

[Tainted]

We used Eaton equipment provided by Benfield Control System in Mount Vernon, NY.

https://www.eaton.com/content/dam/eaton/products/low-voltage-power-distribution-controls-systems/power-energy-meters/power-xpert-multi-point-meter/wireless-multi-point-energy-submetering-wp026001en.pdf

Account Unavailable

Does the submetering billing company specify this?

 

[infinity]

Does the submetering billing company specify this?

I don't know who chose the Eaton equipment or if it was a requirement of Minol in Texas. IMO Benfield is who you need to contact. The system we installed was designed and purchased several years ago so I wouldn't be surprised if they had a newer technology. Here's two photo's of what it looks like:

 

[Tainted]

I don't know who chose the Eaton equipment or if it was a requirement of Minol in Texas. IMO Benfield is who you need to contact. The system we installed was designed and purchased several years ago so I wouldn't be surprised if they had a newer technology. Here's two photo's of what it looks like:

View attachment 2561325View attachment 2561326

Thanks, and the setup looks nice, do you think it would be better to have recessed submeters located near the electrical panels in the dwelling units?

 

[infinity]

Thanks, and the setup looks nice, do you think it would be better to have recessed submeters located near the electrical panels in the dwelling units?

I would say no, one reason being that you would need to run a data link cable from every apartment meter to the building backbone. Then there's the issue of testing and maintenance which would require access to the inside of the apartments. By locating the metering system in an electric closet it can be accessed without tenant intervention..

 

[Tainted]

I would say no, one reason being that you would need to run a data link cable from every apartment meter to the building backbone. Then there's the issue of testing and maintenance which would require access to the inside of the apartments. By locating the metering system in an electric closet it can be accessed without tenant intervention..

Good point how often is maintenance and testing required?

 

[Todd0x1]

Thanks, and the setup looks nice, do you think it would be better to have recessed submeters located near the electrical panels in the dwelling units?

I wouldn't want the metering apparatus (even just the CTs) anywhere that tenants could have access to it.

 

[infinity]

Good point how often is maintenance and testing required

I don't know what the failure rate of the metering components is but I would think that they're not going to last forever. Yearly testing is required for a percentage of all of the units. And Todd makes a good point about tenant tampering.

 

[Tainted]

I don't know what the failure rate of the metering components is but I would think that they're not going to last forever. Yearly testing is required for a percentage of all of the units. And Todd makes a good point about tenant tampering.

By the way how many amps in this day in age should an apartment have regardless of what article 220 says? A lot of NYC apartments are 120/208V split phase 60A apartments which in my opinion is waaaay to low. Do you think it's practical to have 100A minimum?