Utility Issues while charging

[K6CCC]

Are you sure its 80A per leg. It hardly makes sense to require a two pole 100A breaker if it is only 40A. I've never measured it.

Assuming you have a Lightning with dual chargers (so it can draw 80 amps) and a FCSP that is set up the full 80 amps, yes, it would be drawing 80 amps on both legs (that's how it gets 240V). If you only have one charger in your Lightning (like me), it will only be 48 amps unless you are able to force that lower ether in the EVSE or your truck (can only be done on MY 2025).

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[chl]

The utility attempted to balance the transformer load on each leg by transferring loads right from the transformer feed. It makes sense in most cases that one fuse would blow before the other. Slow blow fuse. Even if both legs are over current once one blows the other is likely to drop as all 220V devices are then disabled or at the very least lose most of the load they were using.

Well, there is only so much they can do at that end.
And maybe even if you 10 homes were all balanced, they would still be overloaded.

The demand has outstripped the supply, so either lower demand with energy savings or have the utility increase the supply, which is more costly.

As data centers proliferate, a lot of us may face similar problems, and higher utility bills.

 

[TaxmanHog]

When I had my new service line installed on my garage in 2022, the Grid engineer and line technician came out to inspection the site proposal before putting their stamp of approval on my request.

I quizzed them about the number of house on the "CRIB" section which is all the loads directly fed by a step down transformer on the telephone pole, a total of 13 residences were connected, at 240v, many older houses rated at 100 amp like our residence was, but also in the mix were new construction with 200 & 320 amp load centers.

My application was for a 200 amp service to my garage, future proofing it in the event we grow to two EV's and to also provide enough capacity to my motorcycle workshop, I'd like heat & AC in there.

He said that at the moment the load study indicated my request would be supported by the current transformer, but as the load increases they would revise the number or capacity of transformers with-in the crib to match the requirements of all customers.

Sounds like local engineer and technicians need to get off their ass and make adjustments.

 

[chl]

When I had my new service line installed on my garage in 2022, the Grid engineer and line technician came out to inspection the site proposal before putting their stamp of approval on my request.

I quizzed them about the number of house on the "CRIB" section which is all the loads directly fed by a step down transformer on the telephone pole, a total of 13 residences were connected, at 240v, many older houses rated at 100 amp like our residence was, but also in the mix were new construction with 200 & 320 amp load centers.

My application was for a 200 amp service to my garage, future proofing it in the event we grow to two EV's and to also provide enough capacity to my motorcycle workshop, I'd like heat & AC in there.

He said that at the moment the load study indicated my request would be supported by the current transformer, but as the load increases they would revise the number or capacity of transformers with-in the crib to match the requirements of all customers.

Sounds like local engineer and technicians need to get off their ass and make adjustments.

Yes, indeed.

There are still old houses around here with 60A service if you can believe it, but the Virginia goes back to colonial times before Ben Franklin discover electricity (so the myth goes anyway).

I upgraded to a 200A service panel when I got the Leaf in 2011, but our service was already 200A capable, it was upgraded sometime in the 1990s from 100A service in our whole neighborhood, all buried underground.

You'd think that would minimize outages when storms come through, but there are still above ground poles and towers between us and the utility source.

We probably trimmed 30% or more off our utility usage by going with Energy Star appliances and a high efficiency furnace and hot water heater, and LED lighting.

Data centers worry me though, there are several planned for nearby rural Virginia areas that will likely drive up demand and prices down the road.

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