Bringing Electricity 800m From The Main Road...

[Marvo]

A quick question for Crossy and Co. if I may....

I'm on a real tight budget and want to know the cheapest way to get electricity to my plot. The main road, (nearest electricity) has 3-phase (HT?) running along it but is 800m away - as measured along the small tarmacked side road which passes my plot. I wish to build a small 3 bed house (with 2 air cons) on this plot but cannot pay to bring the 3-phase 800m. I don't think I need 3 phase though do I?. can I bring a lower power (cheaper?) line down the road? There are only 2 or 3 other houses on this side road near to the main rd. junction who take a 240v supply from the 240v cable running along the main road.

A. What are my options?

B. Any idea of the costs for the various options?

Many thanks in advance for any input anyone is able to provide.

Marvo.

[Somrak]

I have 2 friends how did something like you ask for before.

The payd for 250 meters ca. 200'000 bath and for 500 meters ca. 350'000 bath.

I think it will be cheaper to look for solar-, diselpowerd electricity. But this will cost you at least 100-150k bath too.

It is maybe much cheaper to look for a pice of land near a existing powerline!?

Peter

Edited October 15, 2009 by Somrak

[farmerjo]

Hi,

Firstly for me to run power 800 meters i had to find a sala close to the last metered pole and hook up a light with power board fuses earth rod,etc.

The pea would come and test and install 15 amp meter for me.When that was completed i installed my own power poles 30 meters apart and 600mm in the ground,disconnected sala(thatched shade area)and ran 25 insulated cable to my house.

Cost for memory was about 50000 baht all up.

Forget the airconditioners,i get enough power to run small hot water system and all the usual kitchen appliances,however when the neighbour down the road starts his rice cleaning machine my power is dim and surges.

[katabeachbum]

Hi,

Firstly for me to run power 800 meters i had to find a sala close to the last metered pole and hook up a light with power board fuses earth rod,etc.

The pea would come and test and install 15 amp meter for me.When that was completed i installed my own power poles 30 meters apart and 600mm in the ground,disconnected sala(thatched shade area)and ran 25 insulated cable to my house.

Cost for memory was about 50000 baht all up.

Forget the airconditioners,i get enough power to run small hot water system and all the usual kitchen appliances,however when the neighbour down the road starts his rice cleaning machine my power is dim and surges.

With 2 aircons and other householdstuff you would probably need a 15/45 amp meter, single phase. Fee to PEA is like 7k baht for this meter.

If the meter is installed on the mainroad pole, you will probably be allowed to bring in your own cables from the meter on 2 meter tall woodsticks. Aluminum cable with single pvc insulation can be used, lighter and much cheaper than copper. 45 amp at 800 meters I would use 16mm2 or even better 25mm2. So check the price on 1600 meters of cable, and you basicly know the cost.

A 10/30 amp meter could be sufficient, at a lower fee to PEA and 8-10mm2 cables would work

[Crossy]

45 amp at 800 meters I would use 16mm2 or even better 25mm2. So check the price on 1600 meters of cable, and you basicly know the cost.

A 10/30 amp meter could be sufficient, at a lower fee to PEA and 8-10mm2 cables would work

At 45 Amps 800m of 25mm2 aluminium will drop 40% of the available voltage, copper would be somewhat better but still not acceptable.

You'll be needing something like 95mm2 copper to keep your volt drop within a remotely sensible range.

It could actually be cheaper (it would certainly give a more reliable supply) to get PEA to run 25kV 1-phase and buy your own transformer. Anyone know if PEA will run Single Wire Earth Return (SWER) at 25kV?

Get the Missus to talk to PEA, see what their solution would be.

[katabeachbum]

45 amp at 800 meters I would use 16mm2 or even better 25mm2. So check the price on 1600 meters of cable, and you basicly know the cost.

A 10/30 amp meter could be sufficient, at a lower fee to PEA and 8-10mm2 cables would work

At 45 Amps 800m of 25mm2 aluminium will drop 40% of the available voltage, copper would be somewhat better but still not acceptable.

You'll be needing something like 95mm2 copper to keep your volt drop within a remotely sensible range.

It could actually be cheaper (it would certainly give a more reliable supply) to get PEA to run 25kV 1-phase and buy your own transformer. Anyone know if PEA will run Single Wire Earth Return (SWER) at 25kV?

Get the Missus to talk to PEA, see what their solution would be.

Sorry, bad advice on cable.

Perhaps 30 amp in 35mm2 aluminum? Copper is really expensive, like 12k baht for 100 meter 35mm2, and not that much better on resistance

[Crossy]

Perhaps 30 amp in 35mm2 aluminum? Copper is really expensive, like 12k baht for 100 meter 35mm2, and not that much better on resistance

To get < 10% drop over 800m at 30A you'll need 85mm2 aluminium, if you use copper you can get away with 50mm2. Check the relative costs.

If you DO use aluminium great care must be used when terminating it into screw connectors, either a crimp ferrule must be fitted or a short copper pigtail must be crimped to the end of the aluminium (probably the best option as such a large cable likely won't fit the screw terminal anyway). Many problems (fires) are caused by the fact that if you just bung aluminium cable into a regular screw terminal it loosens itself over time, said loose connection then proceeds to arc and the resulting fire causes consternation.

EDIT. We're really going at this in the wrong direction. Stage-1 should be to calculate your maximum demand (a rough figure will do) and from that define the size of supply you'll need. Finally we need to work out the most cost-effective way to obtain that supply.

[Marvo]

Thanks for all those numbers guys, they are REALLY useful. Demand will be created by:

12,000 BTU a/c units - x2

Home Pro ceiling fans - x5

"Standard" fridge freezer

Washing Machine

Microwave

LCD TV 42"

Home cinema audio

True visions sat receiver

Computers x2 & Printer

Phone chargers

Rice cooker

Toaster

Kettle

Oven

Blender

Water pressure pump

Well pump (size as yet unknown)

Swimming pool pump (size unknown)

Standard household lighting

Two or three external security lights

Garden lighting (LED?)

NB Hot water will be heated by solar (water) panels.

Obviously not all will be being run at the same time but hopefully the above will give a trained eye something to work on.

What kind of peak current does a "normal" 3 bed family house draw (no hot water). Or should I say what is a standard meter rating? I guess the a/c units make the greatest impact?

Many thanks,

Marvo

[Marvo]

45 amp at 800 meters I would use 16mm2 or even better 25mm2. So check the price on 1600 meters of cable, and you basicly know the cost.

A 10/30 amp meter could be sufficient, at a lower fee to PEA and 8-10mm2 cables would work

At 45 Amps 800m of 25mm2 aluminium will drop 40% of the available voltage, copper would be somewhat better but still not acceptable.

You'll be needing something like 95mm2 copper to keep your volt drop within a remotely sensible range.

It could actually be cheaper (it would certainly give a more reliable supply) to get PEA to run 25kV 1-phase and buy your own transformer. Anyone know if PEA will run Single Wire Earth Return (SWER) at 25kV?

Get the Missus to talk to PEA, see what their solution would be.

Crossy, before I get onto the PEA, any idea what min. height poles the PEA specify for single phase and also for 3-phase?

Marvo.

[farmerjo]

45 amp at 800 meters I would use 16mm2 or even better 25mm2. So check the price on 1600 meters of cable, and you basicly know the cost.

A 10/30 amp meter could be sufficient, at a lower fee to PEA and 8-10mm2 cables would work

At 45 Amps 800m of 25mm2 aluminium will drop 40% of the available voltage, copper would be somewhat better but still not acceptable.

You'll be needing something like 95mm2 copper to keep your volt drop within a remotely sensible range.

It could actually be cheaper (it would certainly give a more reliable supply) to get PEA to run 25kV 1-phase and buy your own transformer. Anyone know if PEA will run Single Wire Earth Return (SWER) at 25kV?

Get the Missus to talk to PEA, see what their solution would be.

Crossy, before I get onto the PEA, any idea what min. height poles the PEA specify for single phase and also for 3-phase?

Marvo.

I dought the pea will let you do anything yourself over that distance,so expect the worsed when they quote on the job.

[Gary A]

In our area, we have a catch 22 situation. The power company will run a line if they have five houses to hook up. People won't build unless there is electricity available. It would appear that with those conditions, we will never have electricity.