Thanks Ralph for clearing up my confusion about 3 phase metering.
Frank
On 8/13/2010 6:46 AM, Ralph wrote:
If you don't NEEED three phase, don't install it.
The metering is more complex, there are 3 transformers, and the basic
monthly bill is probably more expensive as they pass their costs of
the complexity on to you.
Someone wrote about the "Demand Meter" with the peak indicator, and I
wanted to clear up one thing that was said.
Demand meters usually work on a 15 or 50 (and rarely 60) minute
period. If you exceed the highest peak of use during any of these
periods, your billing rate ratchets up.
This rate remains for a period, sometimes as long as 13 months, during
which your per KWH charge is higher.
It does not cause you to be billed the same total amount whether or
not you use it- it only affects the RATE.
These are called demand charges and supposedly go to offset the cost
of the extra cost they incurred to handle your little spike.
I used to be the lead Field Engineer for a company that specialized in
reading the meter pulses and predicting the demand minute by minute so
that the system could shed load in order to keep from hitting a new 30
minute demand. It was really amazing- I could set the demand limit
and then watch as it cycled fans, compressors, lights and other energy
users to keep that demand down. We even built a box that controlled
the load on big A/C chillers, which basically turned the water
temperature up a degree or so until the prediction went down. This
gear was in large buildings: hospitals, schools, factories, arenas, etc.
The worst case I ever saw (or the easiest one to sell) was a Hercules
plant in Louisiana, where a single peak overage cost them 0ne million
dollars over the next 13 months!
Ralph
*From:* wireless-boun...@wispa.org [mailto:wireless-boun...@wispa.org]
*On Behalf Of *Robert West
*Sent:* Thursday, August 12, 2010 11:32 PM
*To:* WISPA General List
*Subject:* [WISPA] Electrical Question.......
Putting together a new NOC. The new NOC is in an older warehouse and
we ripped out ALL the crazy wiring and the multiple electrical
panels. Total gut job. Installed a single phase electrical panel for
the retail and service area in the front but we have three phase
coming into the building. Electrician uncle Dude, 80+ years, tells me
that three phase protects against power surges since it adds another
transformer.
My question is, would installing a three phase panel for the NOC be a
proactive thing? Advantageous against the great lightning and idiotic
power company Godz? (GODZ Rock And Roll Machine)
Old location was all three phase and we never had one lick of
trouble Not one. Would this be the reason or would it be just a
stroke of luck, one that didn't involve the lottery.... Figures.
Bob-
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