[Michigan] DTE Energy PEV hookup in detached garage (lessons learned)

AEtherScythe

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In July, right after confirming our Mustang Mach-E "First" order, we started the process of getting a dedicated PEV meter for our detached garage.
Found out a few things the hard way...

We had hoped to have the PEV dedicated meter attached directly to our garage, since the utility pole is immediately adjacent to the garage.
First we were told that DTE will not allow allow a second drop to a residence.
Then we were told that they might allow us to place the second meter on the garage by tapping the main drop closer to the pole.
Then we were told by the city that we could not do that, because there needs to be a single shut-off for the garage, which is for fire-code reasons.
That thwarted our plans, because to get the DTE discount for a dedicated PEV meter the charger has to be hard-wired, and we can't power the garage from that feed, which means we could not have other power in the garage for garage door openers and lights if we put the meter PEV meter on the garage. :-(

Our first electrician bailed on us, stating the job was too complicated. He referred us to another electrician.
The second electrician said he had just installed a second line to another garage and DTE was fine with it, which seemed to contradict what DTE had already told us, that they only allow one drop per residential address.
So we decided to pursue the idea of disconnecting the garage from the house power, installing new service to the garage, and adding a second PEV-dedicated meter to the garage, tapping off the new service.
We got pretty far into that plan when we learned that DTE could approve it if the city would approve it, but that the garage and PEV meter would all be billed at the COMMERCIAL rate, which completely defeats the purpose of having a dedicated PEV meter. :-(((((

We had to revert to a plan which involves burying a new, higher capacity, line to the house and back to the garage to allow for the PEV meter to be placed on the house right next to the existing meter. Because of the trenching, our new electrician said it was too big of a job. I offered to do the trenching and he was fine with it at first, but then told me a week later that he was too busy for such a complicated job. :-(((((

I am now on my third electrician. But at least we appear to have gotten the "story" straight about what is allowed and why.
We are having a HUGE expense to do the trenching, plus a big upheaval to our back yard and cement driveway, plus the ugliness of a second meter on the house.
This mess is ultimately due to the COMPLETELY ARBITRARY rule on DTE's part that a second service to the same residential property has to be billed as commercial, even though there is no commercial enterprise on the property. :-(((((
Were it not for that arbitrary rule, this would have been a simple installation of a new meter on the garage + the dedicated PEV meter, plus the PEV circuit.

So, while we're at it, we're having two PEV circuits installed, and we're laying conduit so that our phone and internet utilities can also be buried.

Anyone else with a detached garage have a different / better experience with DTE?
Is this stone-age backwards approach common-place with most power companies or is it just DTE?

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RyZt

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My utility provides two EV electricity plans. One requires second meter, the other doesn't.
  • With second meter, the off-peak price is 15c from 11p-7a. Without, the off-peak price is 17c from midnight-3p.
  • Without second meter, I'm required to do Time-of-Use for the rest of my home. But I did some math and it's a wash.
So I'm not incentived to have a second meter.

Why are you doing a second meter? If it's to save money, is it really worth it considering your project cost?
 
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AEtherScythe

AEtherScythe

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Why are you doing a second meter? If it's to save money, is it really worth it considering your project cost?
Hi, RyZt. We don't have enough amperage to cover the charger with the service we have to the house, let alone the existing circuit that goes to the garage. So we have to upgrade our service and run a new 240V line to the garage either way. Installing the second meter, while upgrading the service, adds negligible cost to the project and has the benefit of substantially lower power costs if we charge only between 11p.m. and 9a.m.
 

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Why are you doing a second meter? If it's to save money, is it really worth it considering your project cost?
2nd meter plan with DTE will be time-of-use charges and the overnight charges are rediculously low (like $0.04).

We have a 2nd meter with DTE. When ours was installed in 2013 it wasn't nearly that kind of an issue but we didn't need 2nd service: just got a 2nd meter hooked up to the existing house service.

At the same time we had our 2nd meter put in a coworker was doing the same with his detached garage. They did the same thing we did: Put the 2nd meter on the already existing house service and ran a conduit (through a trench that they dug themselves to save $$) to their garage.

AEtherScythe: What is your main service?
 
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AEtherScythe

AEtherScythe

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AEtherScythe: What is your main service?
House is ancient, so it was "upgraded" at some point to 100A. Not a big house and our biggest power draw up to now has been our AC.

We're trying not to have to touch the main panel on the house for lots of reasons, but my electrician says the main meter will still have to be upgraded to 325A With 200A in mind, plus the 125A to the garage.

I say 125A, because we're having our 2 car garage wired for 125A and putting two 60A PEV dedicated circuits, to future proof it and laying conduit for the other utilities to get rid of all overhead lines. 60A, because that's the next size up. I don't remember the exact number, but you need a circuit that is something like 20% above what you're trying to supply, which is 48A in this case.

We've already ordered the Ford Connected Charger. Unfortunately it says estimated is ship date is December, and the car will likely beat it here. That means we'll have to do something special to get 240A, since the DTE PEV-dedicated meter program requires that the charger be hard-wired. :-/
 

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House is ancient, so it was "upgraded" at some point to 100A. Not a big house and our biggest power draw up to now has been our AC.

We're trying not to have to touch the main panel on the house for lots of reasons, but my electrician says the main meter will still have to be upgraded to 325A With 200A in mind, plus the 125A to the garage.

I say 125A, because we're having our 2 car garage wired for 125A and putting two 60A PEV dedicated circuits, to future proof it and laying conduit for the other utilities to get rid of all overhead lines. 60A, because that's the next size up. I don't remember the exact number, but you need a circuit that is something like 20% above what you're trying to supply, which is 48A in this case.

We've already ordered the Ford Connected Charger. Unfortunately it says estimated is ship date is December, and the car will likely beat it here. That means we'll have to do something special to get 240A, since the DTE PEV-dedicated meter program requires that the charger be hard-wired. :-/
Interesting I think we only have 100A service and haven't had an issue charging any of the plugins I've had.

Running the Ford Connected Charger "full blast" won't really get you anything. Sure the car will charge a little bit faster but 99% of the time that is overnight so do you really care if its fully charged at 4am or 5am??
 

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The DTE EV rate requires that the second meter circuit is dedicated solely to your EV charger. Not that the charger is hardwired. I’m having the second meter installed Wednesday with a 14-50 plug.

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JamieGeek

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Here is my last month's bill for the Bolt--keep in mind I've been working from home so these charges don't represent my typical driving (interesting, if I go back a year my Oct bill reflects 281 kWh so not much different than this year hmm).
Ford Mustang Mach-E [Michigan] DTE Energy PEV hookup in detached garage (lessons learned) Screenshot 2020-10-12 193913
 
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AEtherScythe

AEtherScythe

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Running the Ford Connected Charger "full blast" won't really get you anything. Sure the car will charge a little bit faster but 99% of the time that is overnight so do you really care if its fully charged at 4am or 5am??
Cost of doing this project would be negligibly lower to put in a lower amperage circuit.
We don't have 240V service in the garage currently, and it's a trenching problem one way or another to put it there.
 
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AEtherScythe

AEtherScythe

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The DTE EV rate requires that the second meter circuit is dedicated solely to your EV charger. Not that the charger is hardwired. I’m having the second meter installed Wednesday with a 14-50 plug.
Interesting. That's not what I recall. What's to stop you from plugging in a hot-tub, or an AC unit for your detached garage, or even an electric clothes dryer?
 

JamieGeek

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The DTE EV rate requires that the second meter circuit is dedicated solely to your EV charger. Not that the charger is hardwired. I’m having the second meter installed Wednesday with a 14-50 plug.
Interesting. That's not what I recall. What's to stop you from plugging in a hot-tub, or an AC unit for your detached garage, or even an electric clothes dryer?
That was the requirement in 2013: dedicated to the EV but not necessarily hardwired, hence my setup:
Ford Mustang Mach-E [Michigan] DTE Energy PEV hookup in detached garage (lessons learned) evse1s

Nothing will stop you from plugging something else there.
 

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Interesting. That's not what I recall. What's to stop you from plugging in a hot-tub, or an AC unit for your detached garage, or even an electric clothes dryer?
To get the rebate from DTE though, you agree to let your EVSE hardware network share your usage data with DTE. So I’m guessing if your charger says you used 200 kWh but your second meter says you used 400kWh maybe you would have a problem that DTE would want to talk about.
 
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AEtherScythe

AEtherScythe

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To get the rebate from DTE though, you agree to let your EVSE hardware network share your usage data with DTE. So I’m guessing if your charger says you used 200 kWh but your second meter says you used 400kWh maybe you would have a problem that DTE would want to talk about.
OIC. That makes sense.
 
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AEtherScythe

AEtherScythe

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Thanks to all who pointed out dedicated doesn't necessarily mean hard-wired. Good to know. Makes things way simpler for me.
I'll be sure to get it confirmed when I meet with the DTE planner this week.
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