Use case · service upgrade
Quoted a service upgrade.
The second opinion costs $1,800. The upgrade costs $60,000.
The calculation says
512 kVA · over
Upgrade · $60,000
then the meter speaks
The meter recorded · × 125%
361.8 kVA · fits
No upgrade
Same panel · same code · NEC 220.87
The calculation guesses high. The meter already knows.
- 01
Envelope math routinely overstates real load by 30 to 60%. It is designed to.
- 02
NEC 220.87 lets your recorded peak, times 125%, stand in for the math. Same code, real numbers.
- 03
And if the upgrade is real, you leave with the sealed sizing document to build it right.
The right study before you sign the quote.
The second opinion · Measured
Check the meter first
Twelve months of utility records against the upgrade quote. A sealed answer in 3 days.
Read about it →3 days
If the upgrade is real · Metered
Size it on the real peak
30 days on the service, so the new one is sized against what the facility actually draws rather than a quote.
Read about it →about 5 weeks