Check my Power Plan please

[hunterguy86]

I am starting on my house and shop build. The next step in this process is to build my workshop, which will be 24x30. This is a single person shop for general mechanic work and woodworking. Biggest load will be my 110V Hobart 140 Mig. I plan to add an air compressor in the future.

Anyways on to the plan. For visual reference, please see the attached picture. Excuse the crudeness of it lol.

The power company is setting my pole with 200 amp service. They are providing a meter can and load center (200 amp, 8 space 16 circuit with feed through lugs.) I plan to treat this as my main panel and put a sub in both the house and the workshop.

The workshop will be about 80 feet from the power pole. I am planning on putting in a double pole 100 amp breaker and using 1/0 wire and bringing 100 amps to the shop. The load center in the shop will be a 200 amp panel (probably a 30 space) just in case I need/want to upgrade in the future.

From the shop panel I plan on installing another sub in the shed which will be a 2 space, 2 circuit with a disconnect switch above it. It will be about a 50 foot run of wire from the shop sub to the shed. I plan on only having a light and one plug, so 30 amps should cover this. I figure #8 should be fine here.

The run from the pole to the house is to be determined at this point. I will work with the electrician during construction on this.

Everything will be below ground in conduit and THWN wire. Inside wiring on the shop and shed will be NM and sized appropriately for each circuit.

There are no codes/inspectors/permits required here, as we are in the county but that is irrelevant to me as I want this done to code, inspector or not.

I will be doing the shop and shed wiring myself as well as the attachment to the main panel.

Am I on the right track? Anything I missed?

Thanks for the help and sorry about the long read.

 

[vartz04]

seems like a good plan to me, Smart to go with the 30 space panel. Having more room to put many different circuits in shop is helpful.

My suggestions -
do each wall on a different circuit for outlets at a min. Better yet (and it'll cost you more in wire) is do every other outlet on a different circuit.
Have at least 1 dedicated 20 amp 110 circuit on each wall.
Put your outlets all at least 50" from the ground (allows you to lean sheet goods on the wall and not cover the outlets).
Put one outlet under your bench, this allows you to stick a small compressor or mini fridge under there and not have to mess with cords going up to the 50" high outlets.
Make sure to put outlets outside your shop
Put a couple outlets up high on the walls/in the ceiling for cord reels/tv's

other than that just put your 220 outlets in as needed and go to town.

 

[hunterguy86]

Good info. Thanks.

As far as the shop goes. It will be a limited buildout for wiring at first. The walls will be covered with plywood eventually but I plan on being in the space for a few months to see how it's working. This way I can add/move electric and plumbing as needed.


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[sberry]

I like 3 recept circuits, basically one on each wall not including the door space. Maybe another on top of bench or place to hook all the parasitic stuffIdeally is to have some provision to add wire as needed vs trying to predict for every scenario. This usually leaves a lot of un used asset simply parked, in a build this size not such a deal though as the runs are short.
The load demand in this type of garage is very similar to a kitchen. A 20 space 100A panel is tailor made for this and very economical.

 

[wyliesdiesels]

I am starting on my house and shop build. The next step in this process is to build my workshop, which will be 24x30. This is a single person shop for general mechanic work and woodworking. Biggest load will be my 110V Hobart 140 Mig. I plan to add an air compressor in the future.

Anyways on to the plan. For visual reference, please see the attached picture. Excuse the crudeness of it lol.

The power company is setting my pole with 200 amp service. They are providing a meter can and load center (200 amp, 8 space 16 circuit with feed through lugs.) I plan to treat this as my main panel and put a sub in both the house and the workshop.

The workshop will be about 80 feet from the power pole. I am planning on putting in a double pole 100 amp breaker and using 1/0 wire and bringing 100 amps to the shop. The load center in the shop will be a 200 amp panel (probably a 30 space) just in case I need/want to upgrade in the future.

From the shop panel I plan on installing another sub in the shed which will be a 2 space, 2 circuit with a disconnect switch above it. It will be about a 50 foot run of wire from the shop sub to the shed. I plan on only having a light and one plug, so 30 amps should cover this. I figure #8 should be fine here.

The run from the pole to the house is to be determined at this point. I will work with the electrician during construction on this.

Everything will be below ground in conduit and THWN wire. Inside wiring on the shop and shed will be NM and sized appropriately for each circuit.

There are no codes/inspectors/permits required here, as we are in the county but that is irrelevant to me as I want this done to code, inspector or not.

I will be doing the shop and shed wiring myself as well as the attachment to the main panel.

Am I on the right track? Anything I missed?

Thanks for the help and sorry about the long read.

1/0 CU for 100a @ 80'? Thats way overkill. Use #3 CU with a #8 cu insulated green for the EGC.

Or if u want to save some money, use #2 al MHF with a 90a breaker.

 

[hunterguy86]

1/0 CU for 100a @ 80'? Thats way overkill. Use #3 CU with a #8 cu insulated green for the EGC.

Or if u want to save some money, use #2 al MHF with a 90a breaker.

Thanks! I would prefer to use all copper. I'm sure the al would be fine, just personal preference.

As far as ground go, does each sub panel need its own ground rods as well as a ground tying back to the main panel?

I understand that the neutral buss is not bonded to ground in the subs.


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[hunterguy86]

1/0 CU for 100a @ 80'? Thats way overkill. Use #3 CU with a #8 cu insulated green for the EGC.

Or if u want to save some money, use #2 al MHF with a 90a breaker.

For this application, do I use the 60C or the 75C column?


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[wyliesdiesels]

Thanks! I would prefer to use all copper. I'm sure the al would be fine, just personal preference.

As far as ground go, does each sub panel need its own ground rods as well as a ground tying back to the main panel?

I understand that the neutral buss is not bonded to ground in the subs.

For this application, do I use the 60C or the 75C column?


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Cu is very expensive compared to al. And al when installed correctly will perform just as good and be just as safe as copper.

#2 AL MHF is about $1.5/ft.

A panel in a detached structure will need 2 grounding electrodes as well as an egc that goes between the panels. But if u add another panel in the same structure, u dont need a second set of rods.

Yes the neutral bar needs to be isolated which means u may need to purchase a separate ground bar kit.

The shed will need its own rods as well as a 4-wire feeder. If youre only gonna be feeding 30a to the shed then #10 THHN should be fine.

And for individual conductors u use the 75* c column. For NM-b cable u use the 60* c column.

 

[hunterguy86]

Cu is very expensive compared to al. And al when installed correctly will perform just as good and be just as safe as copper.



#2 AL MHF is about $1.5/ft.



A panel in a detached structure will need 2 grounding electrodes as well as an egc that goes between the panels. But if u add another panel in the same structure, u dont need a second set of rods.



Yes the neutral bar needs to be isolated which means u may need to purchase a separate ground bar kit.



The shed will need its own rods as well as a 4-wire feeder. If youre only gonna be feeding 30a to the shed then #10 THHN should be fine.



And for individual conductors u use the 75* c column. For NM-b cable u use the 60* c column.

Good info! Thanks.

Shouldn't the #10 be THWN? I will be putting it in conduit and going underground with it.


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[wyliesdiesels]

Good info! Thanks.

Shouldn't the #10 be THWN? I will be putting it in conduit and going underground with it.


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Yes however most THHN is dual rated THHN/THWN. Its habit for me to just type THHN.

 

[hunterguy86]

Yes however most THHN is dual rated THHN/THWN. Its habit for me to just type THHN.

Good deal. Thanks.


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[hunterguy86]

Is there any issue with using #3CU THWN for the EGC back to the main panel?

I can can buy a 500 foot spool of #3CU THWN, which would give me more than enough wire for the 4 wire feed from the main to the sub.

 

[Otto3228]

One suggestion I would have would be to surface mount your 30 space panel so you can pipe out of it later to add circuits and future lighting etc.

 

[bjcouche]

Everything looks good to me thus far, the only suggestion I have is to oversize your conduit between the main panel on the pole and your garage. You might find that #2 or #3 would fit in 1.5" conduit, but I'd recommend using 2" PVC conduit. The person pulling the wires in the conduit will appreciate the larger conduit. The cost of PVC pipe is small, and the hassle of digging up your yard is great.... Oh, and be sure to use large sweep 90 degree bends, and to make gradual bends in the trench wherever possible.

Brian

 

[hunterguy86]

I have a bunch of 2" schedule 40 pvc conduit on hand. I will be coming out of the side of my main panel with an lb and going to a sweep 90, then about 65 feet of conduit, to another sweep 90 up to another lb into the back of the subpanel on the shop.

I just need to pick up some schedule 80 for the small sections that will be above ground.

As an update, I picked up a 40 space, 80 circuit panel to use as the sub in the shop.


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