Description of Service

1. General
   1. The type of service available at any particular location should be determined by inquiry at Valley Electric’s office.
   2. Alternating current service of 60-cycle nominal frequency will be supplied.
   3. In areas where a standard service voltage is presently being supplied to one or more existing consumers, an applicant for new service may be required to receive the same standard voltage being supplied to existing consumers.
   4. All electric service described in this rule is subject to the conditions in the applicable rate schedule and other pertinent rules.
2. Phase and Voltage Specifications
   1. Service Delivery - Service to a consumer is normally established at one delivery point, through one meter, and at one voltage class. Other arrangements for service at multiple delivery points, or for services at more than one voltage class, are permitted only where feasible and with the approval of Valley Electric Association. For purposes of this rule, distribution service voltage classes are described as:
      1. 0 - 300 volt, single or three phase
      2. 301 - 600 volt, three phase
      3. 14,400/24,900 volt, three phase
   2. Distribution Voltages - The standard nominal distribution voltages available are as follows:
      1. Single phase
         120/240 volt, three-wire
      2. Three phase
         120/208 volt, four-wire
         277/480 volt, four-wire
         14,400/24,900 volt, four-wire
   3. Transmission Voltage
      Voltages in excess of 14,400/24,900 volts are transmission voltages. Valley may elect to supply a consumer from lines of transmission voltage at its operating convenience.
   4. Single-phase Service
      Single-phase service may be supplied to installations having a main service switch not exceeding 400 ampere capacity.
   5. Three-phase Service
      Three-phase, four-wire service will be provided for irrigation service or other motor installations within the following load limits:
      1. 5 HP minimum and 30 HP maximum connected horsepower at 208 volts
      2. 20 HP minimum and 300 HP maximum connected horsepower at 480 volts
   6. Combination Single-phase and Three-phase Service
      Three-phase, four-wire service will be provided from the existing distribution system within the following load and demand limits:
      1. 5 kva-500 kva for 120/208 volt
      2. 20 kva - 1500 kva for 277/480 volt
   7. Primary Distribution Voltage
      14,400/24,900 volt standard primary voltage is available without transformation from existing primary distribution lines for loads in excess of 1,000 kva. Requests for service at primary voltage will be dealt with on a case-by-case basis. For service at this voltage, the Association will provide essential maintenance, repair and inspection of the consumer’s facilities on request and shall bill the consumer therefore. Such bills shall be paid with the current monthly energy bill under the same conditions and terms.
   8. Non-standard Service Voltage
      The consumer shall be required to pay the cost of any special installation to meet his particular requirements for service other than the standard voltages, or for the supply of closer voltage regulation than required by standard practice, unless otherwise specified in a contract.
   9. Phase Balance
      The Association shall require that the current taken by each wire of the three-phase service shall be reasonably balanced at times of maximum or near maximum load.
3. Protective Devices For Back-Up Generation Equipment
   Any non-Association-owned emergency standby or other generation equipment that can be operated to supply power to facilities that are also designed to be supplied from the Association’s system shall be controlled with suitable protective devices by the consumer to prevent parallel operation with the Association’s system in a fail-safe manner, such as the use of a double-throw knife-blade switch to disconnect all conductors. A visible opening is required. See Rule 18 for generation in parallel and Interconnection Standards.
4. Interference With Service
   1. General
      Consumers who operate equipment which causes detrimental voltage fluctuations (such as, but not limited to, hoists, welders, radio transmitters, X-ray apparatus, elevator motors, compressors, variable speed motor controls and furnaces) must reasonably limit such fluctuations upon request by the Association. The consumer will be required to pay for whatever corrective measures are necessary.
   2. Motor Starting Current Limitations
      1. The starting of motors shall be controlled by the consumer as necessary to avoid causing voltage fluctuations of 3 percent or greater to the operation of the Association’s distribution or transmission system or detrimental to the service of any of the Association’s consumers.
      2. If the starting current (nameplate locked rotor current) for a single motor exceeds the value stated in the following table, reduced voltage starting or other suitable means must be employed, at the consumer’s expense, to limit the current to the value specified.
      3. Reduced voltage starting may be omitted on any motor of a group installation that its starting current does not exceed the allowable starting current of the largest motor of the group.