Running electric long distances

[calvertbrothers]

Has anyone ran underground electric 3,000 or so feet to there sugar house? I need 200 amps probably going with 480 volts. Just would like to know if is worth doing or building a new sugar house at the road. Price is the deciding factor I guess.

[Thompson's Tree Farm]

I transfer power using 4/0 wire and 480 volts with transformers. Shortest distance is 2200 feet and longest is 7500 ft. My main breaker is only 150 amps because I don't have high amperage demands on the system. I don't think a 200 amp will be a problem for you at that distance. At 7500 ft, I have a voltage drop to 219 (leaves main line at 239).

[wiam]

Much smaller wire than you need but I got 1700’ of 10-2 to run to my releaser last summer from here. https://www.nassaunationalcable.com/ Best price I could find. Free shipping on most orders. And most others would not do over 1000’ lengths.

[calvertbrothers]

I transfer power using 4/0 wire and 480 volts with transformers. Shortest distance is 2200 feet and longest is 7500 ft. My main breaker is only 150 amps because I don't have high amperage demands on the system. I don't think a 200 amp will be a problem for you at that distance. At 7500 ft, I have a voltage drop to 219 (leaves main line at 239).

Is that copper or aluminum wire you used? And did you encase it in sand?

[Thompson's Tree Farm]

I used aluminum wire, Only portions are buried and that is direct buried. Some places it is strung on trees (hard to dig in solid rock).
3 years and no problems.

[maple flats]

I can't help, my voltage drop calculator says even copper is not available in large enough gauge to do it in just 2 conductors.

[Tmeeeh]

We ran two three conductor (L1, L2, and N) 4/0 aluminum direct burial wires 1,000 feet to the sugar house. Connected together at each end in a big junction box. We have a volt meter mounted on the wall near the panel to watch voltage drop. The two sets of wires side by side carry twice as much power as one set. We looked into using transformers but for the distance and the load we have this was less expensive.

[maple flats]

For that distance I think 2 transformers will be less costly, you'll need to check, but 2 sets of conductors won't likely get you there without a transformer. A step up, then a step down. I suspect at least one will need to be variable to end up with what you want.

[calvertbrothers]

For that distance I think 2 transformers will be less costly, you'll need to check, but 2 sets of conductors won't likely get you there without a transformer. A step up, then a step down. I suspect at least one will need to be variable to end up with what you want.

So one transformer in the beginning to step up the voltage then one at the sugar house to step down? Maybe 1/0-1/0,1/0 aluminum wire? Not very good with electricity. I can melt 2 pipes together with electricity but that’s as far as I go haha.

[Thompson's Tree Farm]

Yes, step it up and than back down. I worked with Green Mountain Electric out of St Albans Vt. to plan the system. More than pleased with the service.

[TapTapTap]

Is that copper or aluminum wire you used? And did you encase it in sand?

I would bed and cover with sand if I was installing underground on my boney land. You should also place a marking tape on top of the cover sand so hopefully you (or someone else) doesn't dig into it someday.
Ken

[calvertbrothers]

In my area they want us to run conduit. The inspector won’t allow a sand bed anymore. For 4/0 wire he wants schedule 80, 4”. And that in my area is $58 for 10ft conduit. And for crossings the want galvanized pipe. We asked arcade electric to run high voltage wire and run 2” schedule 80 pvc conduit that is $38 for a 10ft section. The cheapest part was the wire. And the majority of the conduit would be galvanized conduit. And it’s a lot more then pvc. We crunched numbers and we are building a sugar house near the road. Maybe someday we will get electricity back to our woods, but not right now with the prices this high. Thanks everyone for there know how and help it’s greatly appreciated.