# Looking for an all in one rated at 225A but will have a 200a service



## Black Dog (Oct 16, 2011)

icdubois said:


> my parents are building their own house and are going to be putting up solar sometime in the near future. I was talking to my teacher and he said that they should get at least a panel rated for 225. The electrician that is wiring their house says he having a hard time finding a panel that will work. I guess all he can find is 200 A panels but none that are rated for 225 A. Prefer an all in one, doesn't have to have a lever bypass but it may. Not sure exactly which poco is theirs. It will be an underground feed. The EC normally uses GE panels but I would like to see a homeline for them. So any help would be greatly appreciated so I can get their EC a panel number that will work for my parents. I'm also think some where around the 20/40 or more range and outdoor as well.


Why do they need so much power?


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## icdubois (Nov 16, 2013)

I'm not sure why the 200 service but that is the norm around here. Not sure if it's a AHJ thing.


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## Black Dog (Oct 16, 2011)

icdubois said:


> I'm not sure why the 200 service but that is the norm around here. Not sure if it's a AHJ thing.


Do a load calculation, I'll bet a 200 amp service is overkill...


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## icdubois (Nov 16, 2013)

Sorry let me re phrase. The 200A is in the price of the build. But yes your right a 200 is overkill. Do you think that a normal 200 all in one would be sufficient to handle the future solar install? Since this is a new house they are going to try and get as much ready for the install as possible. I don't want them to have to change out the panel because it was not the right size/rating and lay out.


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## Southeast Power (Jan 18, 2009)

icdubois said:


> my parents are building their own house and are going to be putting up solar sometime in the near future. I was talking to my teacher and he said that they should get at least a panel rated for 225. The electrician that is wiring their house says he having a hard time finding a panel that will work. I guess all he can find is 200 A panels but none that are rated for 225 A. Prefer an all in one, doesn't have to have a lever bypass but it may. Not sure exactly which poco is theirs. It will be an underground feed. The EC normally uses GE panels but I would like to see a homeline for them. So any help would be greatly appreciated so I can get their EC a panel number that will work for my parents. I'm also think some where around the 20/40 or more range and outdoor as well.


I think I know why he is teaching rather than contracting.


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## Voltron (Sep 14, 2012)

What size home are we talking about? Gas or electric appliances?
I would think the EC wiring the home should know what size the service should be, rather than going off your teachers shot in the dark.


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## Meadow (Jan 14, 2011)

100 amp services are oversized.


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## NacBooster29 (Oct 25, 2010)

225 is just the bussing. It's more common in commercial bolt on panels. 
To be honest I'm not sure I've ever seen one for a residential application. Let alone an all in one . 
But for the right$$ you could order a custom one I'm sure. 
But it won't be worth it. 
I would let the ec doing the work use his own system. 
I've never heard of a solar install that required a larger service, especially a 200 amp one. 
Is your teacher a commercial guy?


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## LGLS (Nov 10, 2007)

icdubois said:


> Sorry let me re phrase. The 200A is in the price of the build. But yes your right a 200 is overkill. Do you think that a normal 200 all in one would be sufficient to handle the future solar install? Since this is a new house they are going to try and get as much ready for the install as possible. I don't want them to have to change out the panel because it was not the right size/rating and lay out.


Then by all means don't go for an all-in-one and don't put the panel outdoors. Put up an outdoor meter main with room for a/c and pool circuits and space for a future solar tie-in.

Then, whether your utility net meters through a reversing meter or requires a separate meter to determine solar output, you're connectable as-is.


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## Norcal (Mar 22, 2007)

The meter socket will only have a 200A rating on a all-in-one.


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## papaotis (Jun 8, 2013)

havent caught up on all the solar stuff, but why would you need more power to run something that is supposed to save energy?:blink::blink:


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## telsa (May 22, 2015)

PV power in combination with Poco power AND a misbehaving customer load is theoretically able to really stress the busing of a Service.

Admittedly, this is a scenario that is pretty extreme.

1) Poco AND PV array are both pouring juice into the Service bus, it's a hot day and the HVAC system is pulling heavy.

2) The homeower is going crazy growing crazy -- so he's got his grow lamps all fired up -- HPS no less.

THEN it's possible that neither the Poco OCPD nor the OCPD associated with the PV backfeed trips -- while the combination is roasting the main bus. Placing the PV backfeed connection close by the Poco MAIN would merely intensify the amps flowing in the bus adjacent to both -- on its way to the branch loads riding below. With the common aluminum busing in residential panels, things would get down right creepy.

None of the individual branch circuits are tripping, as they are all within norms.

THIS ^^^ is an extreme scenario -- but is causing Code writers to look deeper: over sizing the bus to tolerate full OCPD amps from both PV and Poco at the same time or some such.

This line of thinking MAY be behind the OP.

IIRC, there's a move to seriously up-rate the busing for PV powered homes... or... alternately... to cap the amount of PV power ... or to come up with some other OCPD that figures out when the bus is getting cooked -- a smart panel, if you will.

This is an extreme scenario, so it has not been much encountered -- if ever. 

Think of it as a design issue that may crop up when grow rooms and PV systems come together.


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