iggy2
Senior Member
- Location
- NEw England
Our state just adopted 2012 IECC. In the commercial section it requires: "In buildings having individual dwelling units, provisions shall be made to determine the electrical energy consumed by each tenant by separately metering individual dwelling units" (not sure why this is not in the residential section...). This was also in earlier versions, but never seemed to have been enforced.
In most cases, the utility metering per unit will suffice. However, in many projects we do, the site is master metered, and there is no separate utility meter per dwelling unit (elderly housing). It does not say so, but I feel the energy code intent is for the resident to have access to the metering. So it should not be locked in the basement electric room where the resident has no access.
I have found a few products which are not too industrial looking (Leviton MK240-1SW, E-mon D-mon class 4000) and can be mounted in the dwelling unit, probably next to the loadcenter (but will still probably have a calendar hung over them). Because it needs a voltage tap, and operating voltage, it needs 2 leads from a 15 amp, 2 pole circuit breaker in the loadcenter, taking up 2 spaces. Since it's in a dwelling unit, it must be an AFCI circuit breaker(assuming the meter module is an 'outlet'???). If I read it correctly, the voltage lines then also need in-line fuses.
(Call me cynical, but unfortunately, where the site is master metered, and the resident does not pay for electricity, they could usually care less about their power consumption. The energy used to manufacture, package, ship, install, operate and ultimately dispose of this metering seems an order of magnitude greater than any energy savings that might be realized by the resident watching their kWH use, and then trying to reduce it. And this is not to mention the cost to the Owner. (More often, we see the electric heat thermostat set to max, and the window(s) open to cool off the space...))
Anyone doing this differently? Know of another decent product for this application?
Thanks.
In most cases, the utility metering per unit will suffice. However, in many projects we do, the site is master metered, and there is no separate utility meter per dwelling unit (elderly housing). It does not say so, but I feel the energy code intent is for the resident to have access to the metering. So it should not be locked in the basement electric room where the resident has no access.
I have found a few products which are not too industrial looking (Leviton MK240-1SW, E-mon D-mon class 4000) and can be mounted in the dwelling unit, probably next to the loadcenter (but will still probably have a calendar hung over them). Because it needs a voltage tap, and operating voltage, it needs 2 leads from a 15 amp, 2 pole circuit breaker in the loadcenter, taking up 2 spaces. Since it's in a dwelling unit, it must be an AFCI circuit breaker(assuming the meter module is an 'outlet'???). If I read it correctly, the voltage lines then also need in-line fuses.
(Call me cynical, but unfortunately, where the site is master metered, and the resident does not pay for electricity, they could usually care less about their power consumption. The energy used to manufacture, package, ship, install, operate and ultimately dispose of this metering seems an order of magnitude greater than any energy savings that might be realized by the resident watching their kWH use, and then trying to reduce it. And this is not to mention the cost to the Owner. (More often, we see the electric heat thermostat set to max, and the window(s) open to cool off the space...))
Anyone doing this differently? Know of another decent product for this application?
Thanks.