Module 1

Service Standards for

Service Availability

Module 1 / Rev 00 / September 12, 2012

 Presentation Outline

I. Purpose
II. Definitions
III. Guidelines
A. Service Availability – General
B. Secondary Voltage Service
C. Primary Voltage Service
D. Guaranteed Monthly Minimum Billing Demand

Module 1 / Rev 00 / September 12, 2012

 I. Purpose

To define the fundamental types of electric services

being offered by MERALCO for uniformity during the
processing of service applications.

Module 1 / Rev 00 / September 12, 2012

 II. Definitions

Applicant the prospective customer himself, the owner

of the building, or any authorized
representative of the prospective customer,
who applies for electric service

Customer a Person or juridical entity who enters into a

contract with MERALCO for the purpose of
purchasing or receiving Distribution Services

Module 1 / Rev 00 / September 12, 2012

 II. Definitions

Guaranteed Minimum Billing Demand (GMBD)

the minimum demand to be billed at a given
period

Load, Applied the total connected load in kVA or kW applied

for by the applicant, as shown in the electrical
plans

Module 1 / Rev 00 / September 12, 2012

 III. Guidelines
Service Availability - General

Franchise Area
• All cities and municipalities of Metro Manila
• The entire provinces of Bulacan, Rizal and Cavite
• Parts of the provinces of Laguna, Quezon and Batangas
• Several barangays in Pampanga

Electric Distribution System

• Nominal frequency of sixty (60) hertz
• Overhead Distribution System

Module 1 / Rev 00 / September 12, 2012

 III. Guidelines
Service Availability – General (Service Voltages)

Secondary Nominal Voltages

230 Volts

400 Volts

460 Volts

Module 1 / Rev 00 / September 12, 2012

 III. Guidelines
Service Availability – General (Service Voltages)

Primary Nominal Voltages

13.2 kV
13.8 kV
34.5 kV
69 kV
115 kV

Module 1 / Rev 00 / September 12, 2012

 III. Guidelines
Service Availability – General
(Allowable Voltage Variations)

“The Distributor shall ensure that no Undervoltge or

Overvoltage is present at the Connection Point of any User
during normal operating conditions.”

Undervoltage RMS Value < 90% of the nominal value

Overvoltage RMS Value > 110% of the nominal value

Module 1 / Rev 00 / September 12, 2012

 III. Guidelines
Service Availability – General (Meralco’s Objective)

MERALCO's design criteria and standard practice is to limit

the voltage variations to within ± 5% of the nominal and the
maximum voltage regulation to 3% at all times. The objective
is to address and meet the specific requirements of
electricity-users particularly prime customers in view of the
proliferation and utilization of sensitive microprocessor-
based equipment. In some areas however, the criteria may
vary due to technical and field condition constraints.

Module 1 / Rev 00 / September 12, 2012

 III. Guidelines
Service Availability – General
(Allowable Frequency Variations)

• nominal fundamental frequency shall be 60 Hz

• MERALCO shall design and operate its system to assist the
System Operator in maintaining the fundamental
Frequency within the limits of 59.7 Hz and 60.3 Hz during
normal conditions.

Module 1 / Rev 00 / September 12, 2012

 III. Guidelines
Secondary Voltage Service (Nominal Low Voltage)

230 Volts, Single Phase (1Ø), Two (2)-Wire

230 Volts, Single Phase (1Ø), Three (3)-Wire

230 Volts, Three Phase (3Ø), Four (4)-Wire

400/230 Volts, Three Phase (3Ø), Four (4)-Wire (Grounded Wye)

460/265 Volts, Three Phase (3Ø), Four (4)-Wire (Grounded Wye)

Module 1 / Rev 00 / September 12, 2012

 III. Guidelines

Secondary Voltage Service (Limitations)

• The maximum allowable demand load for single phase

service applications is 75 kW. Single-phase service
applications with demand load requirement of more than
75 kW shall be served at three-phase service.

• The minimum demand load requirement for three phase

service applications, if there are no existing three-phase
facilities or immediate complimentary development in the
vicinity, is 20 kW.

Module 1 / Rev 00 / September 12, 2012

 III. Guidelines

Secondary Voltage Service (Limitations)

• Three-phase service applications with demand load
requirement of less than 20 kW, under the mentioned
field conditions, shall be served at single phase service.

Module 1 / Rev 00 / September 12, 2012

 III. Guidelines

Secondary Voltage Service (Limitations)

Maximum capacity of MERALCO-supplied transformer for
non-residential secondary service applications :

230 Volts : 1000 kVA

400 Volts : 1000 kVA

460 Volts : 2000 kVA

Module 1 / Rev 00 / September 12, 2012

 III. Guidelines

Secondary Voltage Service (Limitations)

• load requirements of more than the indicated capacities

shall be served at primary voltage levels
• applicant shall provide his own substation and/or
distribution facilities except :

a) Residential condominium applications may be provided

with additional transformer banks as determined by
MERALCO.

Module 1 / Rev 00 / September 12, 2012

 III. Guidelines

Secondary Voltage Service (Limitations)

b) Commercial buildings may be provided with another

transformer bank subject to the following conditions:

• separate set of meter/s per bank, and separate contract

and billing for each meter

• no interconnection on the loadside installation

Module 1 / Rev 00 / September 12, 2012

 III. Guidelines

Secondary Voltage Service (Limitations)

• additional transformer bank shall be installed only when
the need arises. Should the customer insist to have the
two transformer banks immediately, the customer(s)
shall guarantee the applicable GMBD of each bank and
there shall be no suspension of GMBD.

Module 1 / Rev 00 / September 12, 2012

 III. Guidelines

Secondary Voltage Service (Limitations)

• Provision of another bank is an accommodation and an

exception to the guidelines on primary metered service.
The corresponding GMBD requirements shall be applied in
accordance with the prevailing policies on GMBD.

• The two (2) transformer banks shall be the maximum

secondary service that can be granted to the applicant.

Module 1 / Rev 00 / September 12, 2012

 III. Guidelines

Secondary Voltage Service (Requirements)

• service shall be metered at the secondary voltage side

• service entrance shall be located along the property line
not more than 30 meters horizontal distance from nearest
MERALCO’s secondary existing facilities
• Otherwise, the application shall be covered by a project
study for the extension of facilities. (Related guidelines in
accordance with ERC rules apply)

Module 1 / Rev 00 / September 12, 2012

 III. Guidelines

Secondary Voltage Service (Requirements)

For service applications in the network area, the applicant shall
provide a space inside the building premises for MERALCO’s
transformer if:

• total connected load of the building is more than 40 kW or;

• total building floor area is more than 280 square meters

Module 1 / Rev 00 / September 12, 2012

 III. Guidelines

Primary Voltage Service (Nominal Voltages)

• 13.2/7.62 kV Three Phase (3Ø), Four (4)-Wire (Grounded Wye)

• 13.8/7.97 kV Three Phase (3Ø), Four (4)-Wire (Grounded Wye)

• 34.5/19.92 kV Three Phase (3Ø), Four (4)-Wire (Grounded Wye)

• 69/39 kV Three Phase (3Ø), Four (4)-Wire (Grounded Wye)

• 115/66 kV Three Phase (3Ø), Four (4)-Wire (Grounded Wye)

Module 1 / Rev 00 / September 12, 2012

 III. Guidelines

Primary Voltage Service (Nominal Voltages)

Other primary (odd) voltages maintained by MERALCO but no
longer available to applicants.

• 6.24 /3.60 kV, Three Phase (3Ø), Four (4)-Wire

(Grounded Wye)

• 4.8 kV, Three Phase (3Ø), Three (3)-Wire (Delta)

Note: These odd voltages are now programmed for phase-out

and conversion to standard voltages.

Module 1 / Rev 00 / September 12, 2012

 III. Guidelines

Primary Voltage Service (Applications)

• when the demand load is greater
than the allowable transformer
capacities for a secondary voltage
service

• when the contracted capacity

necessitates a minimum
transformer capacity to 150 kVA

Module 1 / Rev 00 / September 12, 2012

 III. Guidelines
Primary Voltage Service (Applications)

• when the applied service voltage is different from the

nominal secondary voltages offered by the Company
provided that the applicant’s contracted capacity
necessitates a minimum transformer capacity of 150 kVA

• single phase primary voltage service may be provided on a

case-to-case basis, depending upon the feasibility, as
determined by MERALCO

Module 1 / Rev 00 / September 12, 2012

 III. Guidelines
Primary Voltage Service (Applications)

• Service applications with voltage disturbing loads such as

arc furnace, large motor loads, etc., shall be either
required to install anti-flickering devices or be served at
sub-transmission voltage as determined by MERALCO.

Module 1 / Rev 00 / September 12, 2012

 III. Guidelines
Primary Voltage Service (Applications)
• Service applications in areas served by 34.5 kV system with
ultimate load of 10 MVA and above may be served at 115 KV
sub-transmission voltage as determined by MERALCO
through a Distribution Impact Study.

• Service applications in areas served by 13.8 kV or 13.2 kV

systems with ultimate load of 7 MVA and above may be
served at either 69KV or 115KV sub-transmission voltage as
determined by MERALCO through a Distribution Impact
Study.

Module 1 / Rev 00 / September 12, 2012

Module 1 / Rev 00 / September 12, 2012
III. Guidelines
Primary Voltage Service (Requirements)

• service shall be metered at the primary voltage side

• applicant shall provide space, as determined by MERALCO,

for the installation of the necessary metering facilities

• applicant shall provide, install and maintain all electrical

facilities after the metering point (i.e., transformers,
distribution facilities, main primary service protection, etc.)

Module 1 / Rev 00 / September 12, 2012

 III. Guidelines
Primary Voltage Service (Requirements)

• Applications for primary voltage service shall be covered by

a Distribution Assets Study (DAS) and/or a Distribution
Impact Study (DIS) for the extension and installation of the
necessary electrical facilities. (ERC guidelines apply.)

• Other technical requirements and specifications may be

required during the actual evaluation of the application.

Module 1 / Rev 00 / September 12, 2012

Module 1
Service Standards for
Service Availability

Module 1 / Rev 00 / September 12, 2012