When considering a solar panel installation, there are federal and provincial codes and calculations that must be considered. Upgrading an electrical panel to a larger “BUS RATING” is a common thing. The bus rating is the manufacturer’s allowable capacity of the electrical panel. Sometimes, a 100 amp service may require an electrical panel with a 125 amp bus rating. This is needed to meet the calculations required for solar installations. Additionally, a 200 amp service panel may require a 225 amp bus rating for larger solar panel installations.
Reasons to Upgrade
The age of an electrical panel is another consideration. Some manufacturers will go out of business and replacement breakers won’t be available. Some electrical brands are well documented to have inherent problems. These include not turning off when they are designed to, causing overloads, overheating, and possible fires.
You may just need more breaker space for renovations and extra loads like hot tubs and EV chargers. Adding a subpanel beside the existing one to accommodate additional breakers is sufficient for some. On the other hand, others prefer a larger panel.
What’s Involved with a Panel Upgrade?
There are many factors to consider when upgrading an electrical panel. The new panel must meet code requirements of 1.7m from the floor to the highest breaker. If the existing panel is too high and the new one needs to be lowered, the incoming wires must be lengthened. Moreover, if the new panel is lowered, then some branch circuit wires may need lengthening to terminate them into the replacement panel. If the new panel needs to be lowered, the wire grounding the old panel may now need to be replaced because it’s too short. It is against code to splice the service ground wire. Therefore, it’s much easier to install a new panel if the old one wasn’t too high.
New Manufacturers Mean New Breakers
When you upgrade an existing electrical panel, it is smart to consider upgrading to a larger capacity supply service, such as 100A to 200A. These considerations are usually made to increase capacity for things like hot tubs and EV chargers. For houses built after the mid-1960s, this can be very expensive due to underground wiring. However, if your house was built before the 1960s with overhead service, it’s easier and less expensive.
In order to upgrade a panel with a modern manufacturer, you must install new breakers to match the existing ones. This upgrade will give you peace of mind that the new breakers are safe and dependable.
Another benefit of upgrading your panel is requesting your electrical contractor, along with a permit, to trace and redo the panel directory. This directory check and update is smart. You’ll know how to disconnect power to an affected area in case of an emergency.
The City of Edmonton requires that any changes made to an electrical service be brought up to today’s code. In some cases, it may be necessary to add to or change the outside METER SOCKET.
