This thread will document the installation of an electrical sub-panel for my 15 year old pole barn/garage/shop. After having a concrete floor installed and building a pair of insulated sliding barn doors, I feel the need for "more power" as a 200 foot 12/3 extension cord is just not cutting it anymore. I've popped the breaker at the house three times and have to crank up the generator for some tools as the voltage drop is just too large for them to start up.
The setup:
Meter/Combo on house, this has a 200A breaker for the real main panel in the center of the house. And a 40A breaker for in-feeding an 8KW solar array. No main breaker on the meter/combo. The shop (as we call it now) is located 200 feet away. Actually about 25 feet away from the power transformer that feeds the house.
Normally, one would pop in a 100-125A breaker in the meter/combo, trench a feed to shop sub-panel, wire out and done. But I have to be complicated.
The plan:
The eventual plan is to move the meter to the shop, then feed the house from there. As we (wife and I) get older, man-handling the generator will get harder and I'd like to place a generator/auto-transfer switch at shop, maybe some Tesla Powerwalls for power storage. There just is not enough room around house for this. Well, there is room but it would look ugly as sin and my wife would kill me...
Contemplated doing the job less permit but eventually concluded this would ultimately bite me in the rear down the road. Also contemplated doing everything myself but decided against that because while I'm electrically savey, have little experience in dealing with inspectors and electrical codes and such. Time is money as they say and I'd rather pay experienced persons to deal with that part, and not spend tens of hours fiddling and getting pissed off at silly rules. So I'll be contracting the sub-panel install with minimal "extras" that will satisfy passing inspection. After passing inspection, then I'll finish wiring out the shop over time.
200 feet is a pain in the rear regarding power drop at large amperage. The cable costs are the dominating factor in this whole project. For 200A, it's a 4/0 or 250kcmil Al, the later better choice. Cable will run in a 2-1/2 schedule 80 conduit, trench dug by me of course as I recently added a 485 backhoe to my 20 year old JD4500/460.
Signing and returning the contract today, they say maybe around Feb, 22. So about two weeks to get 811 to do their job, find the propane line (not 811's job), and dig the trench. Going to freeze my rear off Nothing like spending time on cold days outside, sitting and just moving your arms around. lol.
Picts when the sun comes up to get a better idea of the tasks.
The setup:
Meter/Combo on house, this has a 200A breaker for the real main panel in the center of the house. And a 40A breaker for in-feeding an 8KW solar array. No main breaker on the meter/combo. The shop (as we call it now) is located 200 feet away. Actually about 25 feet away from the power transformer that feeds the house.
Normally, one would pop in a 100-125A breaker in the meter/combo, trench a feed to shop sub-panel, wire out and done. But I have to be complicated.
The plan:
The eventual plan is to move the meter to the shop, then feed the house from there. As we (wife and I) get older, man-handling the generator will get harder and I'd like to place a generator/auto-transfer switch at shop, maybe some Tesla Powerwalls for power storage. There just is not enough room around house for this. Well, there is room but it would look ugly as sin and my wife would kill me...
Contemplated doing the job less permit but eventually concluded this would ultimately bite me in the rear down the road. Also contemplated doing everything myself but decided against that because while I'm electrically savey, have little experience in dealing with inspectors and electrical codes and such. Time is money as they say and I'd rather pay experienced persons to deal with that part, and not spend tens of hours fiddling and getting pissed off at silly rules. So I'll be contracting the sub-panel install with minimal "extras" that will satisfy passing inspection. After passing inspection, then I'll finish wiring out the shop over time.
200 feet is a pain in the rear regarding power drop at large amperage. The cable costs are the dominating factor in this whole project. For 200A, it's a 4/0 or 250kcmil Al, the later better choice. Cable will run in a 2-1/2 schedule 80 conduit, trench dug by me of course as I recently added a 485 backhoe to my 20 year old JD4500/460.
Signing and returning the contract today, they say maybe around Feb, 22. So about two weeks to get 811 to do their job, find the propane line (not 811's job), and dig the trench. Going to freeze my rear off Nothing like spending time on cold days outside, sitting and just moving your arms around. lol.
Picts when the sun comes up to get a better idea of the tasks.