Current cost for New Home Electrical Installation w/ transformer

[joshstiles]

I am building a house in Nakon Ratchasima Province.... has anyone had electricity installed in their newly built home (in the countryside) recently (like in 2013 -14)? I would like to know what to expect to pay for a 30v single phase transformer.....the installation / cost of power line poles.....the installation/ cost of the wire from the powerline tie-in to the transformer and the cost / installation of the power line from the transformer to the meter. Also what size wire (copper or aluminum) should I use for each? Thank you to all who reply.

[joshstiles]

I should add that my new home is 600 meters from the nearest power line.....the PEA has no plans to run any lines soon because there is no approved budget and no other houses in the area....lucky me, right? So I need to purchase about 15 poles and a butt-load of wire.

[gerry123]

i will follow this topic with interest as i about to embark on a very similar instillation sorry cant help

[bankruatsteve]

A 30v transformer? Unless you are on the really remote place with no chance for further power, you should (try to) convince the PEA that they need to run their power up to your property. They are usually the 'friend' for things like this.

[Crossy]

One is assuming a 30kVA transformer.

Is 220V (4 wires on small insulators) available at the road or only 25kV (3 wires on big insulators)?

Have PEA done a survey and defined what you need in the way of poles and transformer?

What is your prospective load?

How much of the 600m to the power line is on your property?

[joshstiles]

A 30v transformer? Unless you are on the really remote place with no chance for further power, you should (try to) convince the PEA that they need to run their power up to your property. They are usually the 'friend' for things like this.

Sorry for the typo.....a 30 KVA single phase transformer. PEA has told me they have no budget to extend the power to my property. There is no time frame given as to when there will be a new budget....they just laughed at the thought of this....apparently I may be dead before this happens. They are doing an assessment on what I would need to do to get power to my property at this time.

Thank for your reply

[joshstiles]

One is assuming a 30kVA transformer.

Is 220V (4 wires on small insulators) available at the road or only 25kV (3 wires on big insulators)?

Have PEA done a survey and defined what you need in the way of poles and transformer?

What is your prospective load?

How much of the 600m to the power line is on your property?

yes....30 KVA.

The nearest power line is 600m from my property. Then it is another 60m from the corner of my property to my home.

Unfortunately, at the moment...I am trying to educate myself on many of the 'electrical' terminology and meaning....so 'prospective load', I will have to investigate what this is....although I assume that it is the total power load in the house if everything were running at the same time??? I will calculate this.

[joshstiles]

i will follow this topic with interest as i about to embark on a very similar instillation sorry cant help

ok....if this were the US....i'd just call the Utility Company....but this ain't kansas anymore....

I am also considering running a generator to charge batteries and run my power from these. First, I need to know how much power I'll need and what sort of power a batter can provide. This is all new to me.

[Crossy]

Do get PEA to quote for running 25kV (big poles) to your property, then for the 30kVA tranny, you can then get an independent contractor to quote (he will be cheaper).

Make sure the tranny is on your property so that future homes can't hook up to your supply. Sadly the 25kV will be there for anyone who wants to hook to it as you will be buying the run for PEA.

It's not going to be cheap, but trying to go off-grid will be more expensive in the long run.

[Naam]

i will follow this topic with interest as i about to embark on a very similar instillation sorry cant help

ok....if this were the US....i'd just call the Utility Company....but this ain't kansas anymore....

I am also considering running a generator to charge batteries and run my power from these. First, I need to know how much power I'll need and what sort of power a batter can provide. This is all new to me.

much simpler and of course cheaper would be forgetting the batteries and run a genset continously. but that of course would be still a multiple of the energy cost supplied by the grid.

you also have to compare the one time expense of the transformer and connection vs. the one time expense of the genset plus the infinite time paying for fuel, genset maintenance and last not least sooner or later a replacement. shooting from the hip i'd say transformer and connection is cheaper. for a 30kVA genset you have to shell out 350-400k Baht!

[joshstiles]

Do get PEA to quote for running 25kV (big poles) to your property, then for the 30kVA tranny, you can then get an independent contractor to quote (he will be cheaper).

Make sure the tranny is on your property so that future homes can't hook up to your supply. Sadly the 25kV will be there for anyone who wants to hook to it as you will be buying the run for PEA.

It's not going to be cheap, but trying to go off-grid will be more expensive in the long run.

ok.....thank you.....

now....when you say 'it's not going to be cheap'.....what do you think will be the cost for this jewel of a project?

[joshstiles]

Do get PEA to quote for running 25kV (big poles) to your property, then for the 30kVA tranny, you can then get an independent contractor to quote (he will be cheaper).

Make sure the tranny is on your property so that future homes can't hook up to your supply. Sadly the 25kV will be there for anyone who wants to hook to it as you will be buying the run for PEA.

It's not going to be cheap, but trying to go off-grid will be more expensive in the long run.

ok.....thank you.....

now....when you say 'it's not going to be cheap'.....what do you think will be the cost for this jewel of a project?

ok...got it....thank you very much......now I just have to find a reliable and honest electrical contractor

[Crossy]

Do get PEA to quote for running 25kV (big poles) to your property, then for the 30kVA tranny, you can then get an independent contractor to quote (he will be cheaper).

Make sure the tranny is on your property so that future homes can't hook up to your supply. Sadly the 25kV will be there for anyone who wants to hook to it as you will be buying the run for PEA.

It's not going to be cheap, but trying to go off-grid will be more expensive in the long run.

ok.....thank you.....

now....when you say 'it's not going to be cheap'.....what do you think will be the cost for this jewel of a project?

ok...got it....thank you very much......now I just have to find a reliable and honest electrical contractor

Talk on the QT to the PEA guys who do your survey

[kamalabob2]

Korat has several qualified, licensed electrical contractors for such a simple electrical installation. That same electrical contractor will do serious plans, have all proof of licenses and a complete parts list to submit to the PEA on your behalf. Everything will be listed on the electrical plan, and for good reason. Often the owner of the better electrical contractors will be former PEA high ranking employees, they know all the players, they do not pay bribes and they have trucks that look identical to PEA utility service trucks, just with a different door logo. They may in fact offer better after the sales service and a strong written warranty on the equipment they sell you. You still will pay a legit connection fee to the PEA and one day the PEA crew will connect to the cables up on the poles that you bought, that your private electrical contractor installed from your property. The METER and the TRANSFORMER can be on your property, behind your fence. Once a month they ring your gate bell to come on to your property to open your meter box to take an accurate reading. The PEA service can be 100% in a farang name if you have a permit to build in your name. Remember to save the actual piece of paper with the refundable deposit figure, as some day you might want to get that deposit returned. Crossy and Naam are doing you a huge service to steer you AWAY from other types of electrical generation. If you drive around Korat you will note the orange utility trucks working on factory, shopping center, housing estate new construction that are doing the actual electrical supply cables. The same electrical contractor that does electrical SERVICE to your home, may not be the same firm you would hire for actual electrical work inside your home.

[joshstiles]

Korat has several qualified, licensed electrical contractors for such a simple electrical installation. That same electrical contractor will do serious plans, have all proof of licenses and a complete parts list to submit to the PEA on your behalf. Everything will be listed on the electrical plan, and for good reason. Often the owner of the better electrical contractors will be former PEA high ranking employees, they know all the players, they do not pay bribes and they have trucks that look identical to PEA utility service trucks, just with a different door logo. They may in fact offer better after the sales service and a strong written warranty on the equipment they sell you. You still will pay a legit connection fee to the PEA and one day the PEA crew will connect to the cables up on the poles that you bought, that your private electrical contractor installed from your property. The METER and the TRANSFORMER can be on your property, behind your fence. Once a month they ring your gate bell to come on to your property to open your meter box to take an accurate reading. The PEA service can be 100% in a farang name if you have a permit to build in your name. Remember to save the actual piece of paper with the refundable deposit figure, as some day you might want to get that deposit returned. Crossy and Naam are doing you a huge service to steer you AWAY from other types of electrical generation. If you drive around Korat you will note the orange utility trucks working on factory, shopping center, housing estate new construction that are doing the actual electrical supply cables. The same electrical contractor that does electrical SERVICE to your home, may not be the same firm you would hire for actual electrical work inside your home.

This is very good information. I appreciate everyone's comments. Thank you so much. Of course I am still going to cross my fingers, flip a coin, and toss pepper over my shoulder (it's a cooking thing)...