Electric Advice Please

[blackcab]

We have a 200 amp, 3 phase supply coming into a building. There is negligible existing use of electricity (a few led lights and a couple of plug sockets that charge mobile phones and camera batteries). We want to purchase a machine with a motor that uses 30kW of power. The machine could be situated close to the building's fuse board.

 

1. Do we have enough power available to run the machine?

 

2. If the machine was running, how much power would be left for other electrical items?

 

Thanks you!

[sometimewoodworker]

31 minutes ago, blackcab said:

We have a 200 amp, 3 phase supply coming into a building.

This is rather unusual as the general meters are either 15/45 or 30/100 so around 135 or 300

 

however using a power factor of 1 and 220V supply line to line a 3 phase 30kW load is 78amps using 220V line to neutral it is 45amps

https://www.rapidtables.com/calc/electric/kW_to_Amp_Calculator.html so the answer is 1) yes and 2) quite a lot.

Edited November 13, 2019 by sometimewoodworker

[Singhajon]

Ask the manufacturer it will be on the motor rating plate.

[impulse]

I'd recommend asking the PEA to have a look at the site.  In theory, you have enough with 200A, but do you really have that 200A available?  You haven't specified whether you're in a shiny new industrial facility with a stout power grid, or on an old mill at the end of a long farm road with a wienie system.   If nobody's used "your" 200A allocation in years, I can see where they may have snuck in more loads over the years- because they could.  

 

You may end up real disappointed when you punch the start button.  Why risk it?

[blackcab]

This is the sticker on the meter:

 

[blackcab]

17 minutes ago, impulse said:

...do you really have that 200A available?

 

No idea. We are 20 meters maximum away from the MEA transformer which has a plate that says 500 on the side of it.

 

We are the first and closest connection to the transformer. The wires from our building are connected to the output wires of the transformer about 2 meters away from the transformer itself.

 

No idea if that makes any difference though.

[sometimewoodworker]

1 hour ago, blackcab said:

This is the sticker on the meter:

 

It usually isn’t a sticker on the meter that shows what supply you have, here are a couple of pictures of meters. One being a 15/45 and the other a 30/100

 

[blackcab]

[Singhajon]

Your meters are "whole current " ie the main cables go in and out of the meter, this is normal for supplies up to 100A. The OP's meter is a 200/5 CT meter ie the main cables don't go in and out of the meter but pass through "current transformers" usually in a sealed meter cabinet with the meter stuck on the front.

[sometimewoodworker]

7 hours ago, Singhajon said:

Your meters are "whole current " ie the main cables go in and out of the meter, this is normal for supplies up to 100A. The OP's meter is a 200/5 CT meter ie the main cables don't go in and out of the meter but pass through "current transformers" usually in a sealed meter cabinet with the meter stuck on the front.

Which will mean that my answer above 1) yes and 2) a lot is correct.

[RideJocky]

You should have plenty of power. 
 

Is your machine three-phase as well? 
 

Get ready for “sticker shock” when you get your first electric bill..,,