Is a remote power meter possible plus amps....

[tinysparky]

Hello, I have attached what I will try to explain. Question - Can I put the meters (one for solar and one for grid-tied solar) on my well house....then have it go to my house (would need a ground cable the full run back to main meter to be code) to a sub panel.

Option A (typical...don't prefer)

Utility brings in power to new transformer
run power from transformer to temp power pole near construction site.
Once the house is built....connect to house...
I would need to run another 1/0 cable to the well then a smaller gauge 8 gauge to the gate...and down the road (i will have some voltage drop on the long run which is fine)

Option B (not typical....prefered)
utility brings in power to new transformer (same)
run power from transformer to well pump house (put in a meter and a small panel.
breakers would feed pump house and gate area
then I would still run the temp power pole, but there would only be 1 1/0 line in the ground instead of having to run 2.
I would need to run a ground cable from the remote meter to the main panel in the house to be compliant.


thoughts on where the meter should go?
Do I really need 320 amps?

 

[mm08822]

Before you go too far, you need to first understand what metering is required for your state (if any) and POCO with solar. Based upon those requirements, it could affect you feeder layout.

In my case, I have a single net meter for the utility but I also have an additional meter for the SREC’s produced from the Solar system. The utility only reads the net meter and I have to read the SREC meter and report it to the state myself.

In some locations (as I understand it), the POCO reads both meters and wanted them grouped together.

This is necessary input for feeder layout and maybe even the poles.

 

[tinysparky]

I will end up with 2 meters, one production and 1 net meeter. Our utility will read both as there is a state credit.

But you are right, not sure with the extra panel how this comes out. At my last place there was one 1 panel, in this scenario, there are 3....pump house....house.....pole barn with solar.

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[tinysparky]

To complicate it, if i 15kw of solar, that comes down to 71 amps....x 1.25 = 88.75...or 90 amps rounded up. Hence the 100 amps to the workshop....which needs fed into the bottom of the workshop panel....into the bottom of the panel in the garage.......or so i believe

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[ard]

Wow.

Why a 'second transformer'?? Is this you guessing/throwing around terms, or something PoCo says?

I would plan on:

Main panel at house with net meter.
Separate conduit to 1.5HP well pump on 30A or whatever breaker.
Service to Shop, SIZED FOR both load in shop AND solar. Read solar production off hardware/software in the solar system. Or install a poco-compliant meter at the solar where it ties to the system.

I would not put a main service, meter, disconnect, whateevr- at the well house. It is clearly a tiertary structure. (If you told me it is an 1700 ft deep well and needs three phase power, then different story.)

 

[wyliesdiesels]

I havent done voltage drop calcs yet but my hunch is that 1/0 cu would definitely be too small for 600'+ for a 400a service.

I would have PoCo set pad mount near where house will be, setup temp panel there and then feed well from there...

 

[ard]

Fwiw

As soon as the foundation was poured, I had my main 400a service mounted on two pieces of unistrut already in the stem wall. Poco pulled the service, and I was able to run a 50A sub out to a mobile home. Point being we had electric service without a temp panel during most of the construction. Also ran the well from that main.

 

[Ryanjax]

I had my meter put on the wellhouse. 320a, then a 200A feed thru panel for the wellhouse (feeding thru to barn) and a 200A disconnect for future residence. Power company doesn't need to come back. None of this has solar so your needs may be different.

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[tinysparky]

Wow.

Why a 'second transformer'?? Is this you guessing/throwing around terms, or something PoCo says?

I would plan on:

Main panel at house with net meter.
Separate conduit to 1.5HP well pump on 30A or whatever breaker.
Service to Shop, SIZED FOR both load in shop AND solar. Read solar production off hardware/software in the solar system. Or install a poco-compliant meter at the solar where it ties to the system.

I would not put a main service, meter, disconnect, whateevr- at the well house. It is clearly a tiertary structure. (If you told me it is an 1700 ft deep well and needs three phase power, then different story.)

Poco is requiring the second transformer....

The well is only 128 feet.

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[ard]

Poco is requiring the second transformer....

The well is only 128 feet.

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You sure it is 'second' or 'relocate'? Im having a hard time understanding why they need two transformers to serve a home 1000 ft from their line.

 

[tinysparky]

POCO is coming out Wednesday to explain....

I told them ard on garage journal said you guys are messed up....

I will let you know what they say

 

[ard]

Any chance you will ever want a generator?

Where would it be located? THIS could impact your design....

Think about it.

 

[tinysparky]

Yes i do. So i am leaning towards the temp power pole with the production and net meter on the house. With a sub panel on the workshop and separate run to the well and the other outbuilding.

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[mm08822]

Yes i do. So i am leaning towards the temp power pole with the production and net meter on the house. With a sub panel on the workshop and separate run to the well and the other outbuilding.

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Definitely find out where the production meter can go and more importantly where it can not go according to the POCO.

It's possible all of them need to be lumped together and that could force a dedicated feeder from the PV inverters towards your main panel where the net meter is. Garage then becomes a separate feeder.
Having all of these feeders coming together at one location gives you some flexibility especially if you do a generator.

Also see how close the xformer can be to the house/garage. The closer it is, the less conductor length you have to buy.

I would also consider a small subpanel in the well house so you have a little extra power out there - light, recepts, heat trace, misc yard stuff, etc. Running a small feeder out to it is only a small incremental cost from just feeding a motor.

 

[ard]

Yes i do. So i am leaning towards the temp power pole with the production and net meter on the house. With a sub panel on the workshop and separate run to the well and the other outbuilding.

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Last house I built I installed a 400A main panel at the home garage; tied it to two pieces of unistrut tied to the rebar in the garage stem wall...they poured the foundation. Ran wire to a few receptacles tied to the unistrut, then pulled wire to a mobile home via conduit.

Inspected by county

PoCo hooked up. Had power around the same time as the first floor floor was framed.

So you dont necessarily need a temp power pole, depending on your county, PoCo and situation