Feeding to sub-panels from one meter disconnect?

[Paperman]

Feeding two sub-panels from one meter disconnect?

I am buying a commercial retail building. It has 4 retail stores in front. I have 1 business that combined 2 spaces to enlarge their salon. Each unit has its own meter that feeds a single breaker disconnect in the mechanical room. This breaker then feeds a sub-panel in each unit. The way the POCO charges here is a flat rate for the meter and then by the KwH. If I can save the tenant $35/mo by a simple jumper from one disconnect to the other I'm all for it.

I would like to have both panel 1 and 2 fed from a single meter or have panel 1 feed both subpanels in the unit. Which is a better option?

 

[wyliesdiesels]

Pictures dont load so i cant see what you have.

Does the main service panel/meter stack disconnect section for each unit have more than 2 spaces so you could add an additional breaker?

Other possible option is to feed the second subpanel from the first. But would need to do load calcs...

 

[Paperman]

No, each disconnect is a single breaker panel. In further reading is seems two lug meters are fairly common so I could have the utility pull the meter and pull a feeder in from the second panel. I placed a call to the POCO and hope to have some news today.

 

[Stuff]

It is not the meter, but the meter box that can be two lug. Most locations it is an electrician, not the POCO who would replace the box.

You missed the comment about load calcs. Combining two panels/feeds/meters into one might require a larger meter/feed.

 

[ard]

I saw the picture before it disappeared.

All I saw were 4 disconnects- each with a conduit coming into the top, each with a conduit leaving the bottom. As I recall.

The 'easy' way would be if the poco says 'sure we can feed #1 and #2 off of one meter. Your electrician would need to let us know, we'd pull the meters and when he is done reconnect'. This requires the meter base having two lugs AND being sized for these two loads.

If you are thinking you will run the load for #1 off of the #2 panel, then as others have pointed out you need to understand the loads of each and their sizing- all of which is unrelated to the poco.

Where I live the poco does no work on anything past the meter(s). Not sure where you are....

Oh, you are using the term "panel" to mean a "disconnect". The picture showed 4 disconnects, not 4 panels.

Any reason you don't want to fix you post so others can see the picture??? Upload the picture to GJ if your PB account is limited.

 

[Stuff]

PhotoBucket is no longer playing nice with the rest of the Internet: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2017/06/30/photobucket_charging_400yr_3rdparty_pgs/

 

[wyliesdiesels]

PhotoBucket is no longer playing nice with the rest of the Internet: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2017/06/30/photobucket_charging_400yr_3rdparty_pgs/

WOw

$400/yr???

Those guys are crazy!!!

 

[wyliesdiesels]

No, each disconnect is a single breaker panel. In further reading is seems two lug meters are fairly common so I could have the utility pull the meter and pull a feeder in from the second panel. I placed a call to the POCO and hope to have some news today.

PoCo wont have anything to do with that.

You would need to replace the meter pan with a dual lug version...