Dedicated pole transformers for grid tie [RE-wrenches]

[joeldavidson at earthlink.net]

Hello Ron,
A 38 kW isolation transformer for a 1.3 kW PV system? Is it any wonder why
most utility company managers think that customer-owned distributed
generation is not cost-effective.
Best wishes for a wonder-ful new year.
Joel Davidson

Original Message:
-----------------
From: Ron Schroeder wd8cdh at optonline.net
Date: Tue,  6 Jan 2004 20:26:39 +0000
To: RE-wrenches at topica.com
Subject: RE: Dedicated pole transformers for grid tie [RE-wrenches]



joeldavidson at earthlink.net wrote:
> 
> Utilities sometimes have to upgrade the transformer when distributed
> generation is added to the circuit because they consider DG as an added
> load. Transformer upgrades are often done at the customer's expense. 
> What
> kind and how many kW is the grid tie?
> 

Hi Joel,

Our Net Metering limit is 10KW (panel rating at STC).

As an example, 6 houses were on a 15KW transformer.  One of the houses 
put in a 1.3KW array on a Trace ST1500.  Two line trucks and at least 5 
utility workers spent 2 days putting up a 38KW transformer just for that 
one house.  The other 5 houses remained on the origional 15KW 
transformer.  

The utility told me that the standby losses of the transformer were a 
little over 800 watts (not 800VA).  Thats a little over 19KWH load to 
the utility per day and the average solar generation of the grid tied 
system would be about 4KWH per day.

At least the transformer installation was at the utilities expense and 
the load is on the utilities side of the meter.


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