[RE-wrenches] 208V residential service

[August Goers]

This video shows the difference with the FM12S meter for 120/208v services:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dJCKPF_yCew

-August




On Thu, Oct 17, 2024 at 9:39 AM August Goers <august at luminalt.com> wrote:

> Hi Dave -
>
> Yes, we see 120/208 volt services from time to time for homes typically
> near commercial or multifamily zones. They have caught us off guard more
> times than I care to admit. It's really hard for ESS systems since there
> are almost no products that run at 120/208v.  But, anyway, the dead
> giveaway is that the utility meter type is different. We've been selecting
> the newer Enphase IQ8HC micros that are compatible with 120/208v. We've
> never had luck getting the utility to switch the client over to 240 v
> although we have tried.
>
> At least in our neck of the woods in CA, Form 2S CL200 meters are used for
> 120/240v services (Also, Form 2S meters are used for 120/240v 320 A
> services)
>
> [image: image.png]
>
> And Form 12S CL200 is for 208/120v services:
>
>
> [image: image.png]
>
> Good luck with your fix.
>
> Best, August
>
>
> On Thu, Oct 17, 2024 at 5:58 AM Mac Lewis via RE-wrenches <
> re-wrenches at lists.re-wrenches.org> wrote:
>
>> Hi Dave,
>>
>> Yes, we have run into this. In our area, it tends to be on homes near
>> commercial zones. Our utility will not change anything for us so we have
>> learned to be on the lookout for this scenario.
>>
>> It's possible that the utility can tap to a higher voltage for you.  You
>> may be able to use a transformer to get to 240 Vac but that will come with
>> quite a bit of loss. I'd recommend swapping to a 208 compatible system if
>> the utility can't help.
>>
>> Good luck !
>>
>>
>> On Thu, Oct 17, 2024, 6:26 AM Dave Tedeyan via RE-wrenches <
>> re-wrenches at lists.re-wrenches.org> wrote:
>>
>>> Hi All,
>>>
>>> I was just out of town installing a system for a friend just North of
>>> NYC. I was confused when checking phase for consumption CT's when I found
>>> that there was 120V L-N, but 206V L-L. I went and found the transformer,
>>> and there was in fact one transformer for all the houses that I could see.
>>> It had 4 wires coming out of it, and each house was tapped onto 3 of them.
>>> So they actually are just using two legs of a 3 phase 208/120V distribution
>>> system.
>>>
>>> Has anyone seen this sort of thing before? I was amazed that a bunch of
>>> houses there all have 208V L-L, and it seems to not be causing problems.
>>> Granted my friend says his A/C is really weak and that they have had some
>>> funky problems with their electric oven. But they also just moved in last
>>> year, don't have many 240V (or 208V) appliances, and are not very
>>> electrical savvy, so they were clueless about this.
>>>
>>> Unfortunately this means that all the Enphase IQ8A's I just put on their
>>> roof are useless, unless I go back to put in a transformer or get the
>>> utility to do something about it. I am going to call the utility (Con Ed),
>>> but I was just curious if anyone has had a similar experience and whether
>>> their utility was open to changing it to 240V.
>>>
>>> Cheers,
>>> Dave
>>>
>>> --
>>>
>>> [image: Logo] <https://www.sungineersolar.com/>
>>> Dave Tedeyan, P.E.
>>> Owner | Sungineer Solar
>>> p: he | him | his
>>> a: 1653 Slaterville Rd.
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>>>
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>>> NY 14850
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>>> w: www.sungineersolar.com <http://www.sungineersolar.com/>
>>> c: (607) 270-0370
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