Changing the switchgear has always been the number one option. I am just looking for any lower cost option so I can tell the owner that we looked for lower cost options. The switchgear has the 1600A MCB plus about 12 200A CBs and a few smaller CBs.
Any option that cost nearly the cost of replacing the switchgear is (IMO) not really an option as it they would still have the 50 year old switch gear.
So far the options are:
1. Replace the switchgear.
2. Current limiting fuses before the switchgear if it can be shown that the fuses will limit the let through current to less than 45K at any fault current over 45K up to the available. (I am still not sure this is an option)
3. As mentioned above, a separate service for the addition. I wonder if the utility would install a second set of transformers for the addition in the same location instead of replacing the existing with larger?
