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TRC Electrical Load Inventory, 1660 9th St, Santa Monica

TRC Electrical Load Inventory, 1660 9th St, Santa Monica

Compiled 2026-09-06 from Greg's local files. Every row cites a source file. Rows with no nameplate source are marked ESTIMATE and carry a stated basis.


0. THE HEADLINE: measured 15-minute demand data already exists on this machine

The email dossier records that SCE owed TRC "13 months of 15-minute demand CSVs for both meters" and that none appear delivered. They were delivered, and they are on disk.

~/Library/CloudStorage/Dropbox-RecordingClub/Greg Spero/Greg's Dropbox/SCE/FULL DATA 2025-JAN2026/
  SCE_Usage_[account]_01-01-25_to_01-29-26.csv   (37,724 intervals)
  SCE_Usage_[meter 3]_01-01-25_to_01-29-26.csv   (37,724 intervals)

15-minute kWh "Delivered" per meter, 2025-01-01 through 2026-01-28. Demand kW = kWh x 4. Meter resolution is 0.4 kWh, so every reading quantizes to a multiple of 1.6 kW.

There are TWO service accounts at this address, not one

The March 2025 bill (TRC/Electric/ViewBill03262025.pdf, and the SCE folder bills) lists service accounts [account] and SCE meter 3, both at 1660 9TH ST, under customer account [account].

[account] (now [account]) SCE meter 3
Rate (Dec 2025 bill) TOU-GS-2-E, already demoted TOU-GS-1-E
Threshold on bill 199 kW 20 kW
Demand charge Facilities-related 13 kW x $14.81 = $192.53 none billed
13-mo energy 30,438 kWh 38,885 kWh
13-mo max 15-min demand 27.2 kW 14.4 kW
Intervals >20 kW in 13 mo 50 0

Source: SCE/ViewBill01052026.pdf lines for both accounts; CSV analysis above.

SCE meter 3 has never come close to 20 kW. The entire demand problem lives on [account] (the account the BRIEF says closed 1/29/26 and was replaced by [account]).

Measured monthly maximum 15-minute demand (kW)

Month 754 769 Combined
2025-01 20.8 12.8 28.8
2025-02 19.2 11.2 24.0
2025-03 20.8 11.2 25.6
2025-04 20.8 12.8 27.2
2025-05 22.4 12.8 30.4
2025-06 20.8 12.8 28.8
2025-07 27.2 12.8 35.2
2025-08 27.2 14.4 36.8
2025-09 19.2 12.8 30.4
2025-10 20.8 11.2 30.4
2025-11 14.4 14.4 24.0
2025-12 12.8 12.8 22.4
2026-01 19.2 12.8 24.0

Combined percentiles across all 37,724 intervals: p50 6.4 kW, p90 14.4 kW, p99 22.4 kW, p99.9 28.8 kW, max 36.8 kW. Overnight (3-5am) combined base load: median 3.2 kW, p90 6.2 kW.

The EV charger was the dominant driver on meter 754, and limiting it worked

Sustained runs at >=11 kW lasting >=1 hour, and intervals >=16 kW, on meter 754:

Month Sustained >=11 kW runs >=1 h Intervals >=16 kW
2025-05 20 97
2025-06 18 60
2025-07 26 93
2025-08 34 133
2025-09 20 24
2025-10 8 22
2025-11 1 0
2025-12 3 0
2026-01 3 2

That step change lands exactly on the Nov/Dec 2025 EV-charger limiting recorded in context/email-dossier.md:16. Longest single sustained run: 660 minutes (11 hours). Greg measured Tesla charging at 11.3 kW (context/texts-ari-electrical.txt:161).

This contradicts the soft-starter theory on the physics

The billed quantity is a 15-minute average, not an instantaneous peak. The 2025-08-23 peak was 27.2 kW on meter 754 held across consecutive intervals from 16:45 to 18:45, and 2025-07-31 held 25.6-27.2 kW across 18:30 and 19:00. A compressor inrush lasting 0.5-3 seconds contributes at most 3/900ths of a 15-minute window. To move that average by 1 kW an inrush would have to last 5 minutes. The measured peaks are sustained running load, not startup transients. This corroborates Farzad (texts-ari-electrical.txt:772) and Victor (texts-ari-electrical.txt:976) against Ari's inrush theory. Confidence: high.


1. Load inventory

Phase note: Farzad, 2026-09-04, "sauna is the only equipment that uses 3 phase and there's already an existing 240V outlet. All the other work was done in 110V" (context/texts-taji-chats.txt:456). He then confirmed the AC units are 220V (texts-taji-chats.txt:458-460). Both statements can be true: the ACs are 240V single-phase (split-phase, two hot legs), which is what the one nameplate we have says.

HVAC, 7 rooftop package units

The building has 7 rooftop units total (TRC/AC/RFP/TRC_Live_Room_HVAC_RFP.md, section 2; TRC/AC/RFP/TRC AC Issue Document 3_18_26.pdf, "The building has 7 units total"). Only two have a documented model.

# Room / label Model Phase / volts Running kW Source
1 Live Room + Iso Booth ("System 1, Main Studio" + Lounge on the balance report) AC Pro PKHP-M-0601BB, 5-ton heat pump package, replaced 2025 1-phase, 230 V (explicit) 5.5-6.5 ESTIMATE (5-ton package HP: compressor 4.5-5.5 + condenser fan 0.25 + blower 0.6-0.9) TRC/AC/Brian Banks info/.../Pacific Air Co. Proposal 5-23-25.pdf item 2; TRC/AC/Airflow Report - Recording Club.pdf MFG/MODEL; TRC/AC/RFP/TRC_Live_Room_HVAC_RFP.md sec. 4
2 Mixing Room ("newer unit, separate system") unknown unknown, presumed 240 V 1-ph 3.5-4.5 ESTIMATE (3-4 ton) TRC/AC/RFP/TRC_Live_Room_HVAC_RFP.md sec. 4, photo rooftop_unit_mixing_room.jpg; ac-project-plan.pdf ("Mixing Room over-cooled, has spare capacity")
3 "System #3", damaged aluminum refrigerant pipes, proposed for replacement 4/13/2025 Carrier 48ESNA4809030, S/N 2512C36393, 4.0-ton down-discharge heat pump 220 V (stated) 4.5-5.0 ESTIMATE (4-ton package) TRC/AC/Reyes - Proposal Greg Spero 1660 9th St Santa Monica CA 90404.pdf
4 unknown room, one of the two Ari identified as spiking ("ac units 4 & 7") unknown unknown 2.5-4.5 ESTIMATE texts-ari-electrical.txt:775
5 unknown room unknown unknown 2.5-4.5 ESTIMATE 7-unit count, RFP
6 unknown room (office AC known to exist and to have failed 3/22/26) unknown unknown 2.5-4.5 ESTIMATE texts-ari-electrical.txt:792, :111
7 unknown room, the second Ari flagged unknown unknown 2.5-4.5 ESTIMATE texts-ari-electrical.txt:775

Corroboration on the count: Elite Heating's Apr 2025 estimate prices preventive maintenance on "the six HVAC rooftop systems" plus the one Lennox replacement = 7 (TRC/AC/Elite Heating and Air Conditioning - estimate_16393.pdf). That estimate also quotes a Lennox LRP13HPK60EP explicitly as "5 Ton, 208-230v 1ph 60 hz", further evidence the rooftop fleet is single-phase.

Also on record: the Live Room unit is starved on airflow, measured 1,528 CFM actual against 2,000 design (76%), total external static 1.44 in. w.c. against 0.8 rated (TRC/AC/Airflow Report - Recording Club.pdf, 04/16/2026, NCI cert 17-399-01). A unit fighting nearly double its rated static draws more power, not less. That is a live contributor to running demand.

HVAC subtotal, all 7 running: 24-33 kW ESTIMATE.

Non-HVAC loads

Load Model Phase / volts Running kW Source
EV / Tesla charger unknown wall connector 240 V 1-ph 11.3 measured, since limited to an unknown lower setting texts-ari-electrical.txt:161 ("Tesla charges was 11.3 kw"); limiting recorded in context/email-dossier.md:16
Sauna heater unknown 3-phase, existing 240 V outlet, the only 3-phase equipment on site 6.0 ESTIMATE (commercial sauna heaters cluster at 6/8/9 kW; 6 kW is the common 240 V unit) context/texts-taji-chats.txt:456
Cold plunge chiller unknown presumed 120 V 0.5-1.0 ESTIMATE (1/3-1 HP chiller) texts-ari-electrical.txt:781 (listed alongside sauna and Tesla charger for monitoring)
LED video wall IYO LED, 49 x DW1.9 SPro cabinets, 24" x 13.5" each, P1.9, 650 cd/m2, GOB; NovaStar VX600 controller presumed 120 V, multiple PSUs max 6-9, typical 2.5-3.5 ESTIMATE (P1.9 GOB cabinets of this size run ~130-190 W max, ~45-70 W average content; 49 x 160 W = 7.8 kW max, 49 x 55 W = 2.7 kW typical) ~/.claude/projects/-Users-gregspero-claude-grid/memory/reference_trc_led_wall_purchase.md
Live Room stage lighting rig LED pars, spots, moving heads on truss 120 V 2.0-4.0 max, 1.0-1.5 typical ESTIMATE TRC/AC/RFP/TRC_Live_Room_HVAC_RFP.md sec. 4 "Heat sources"; landlord 2025-12-19: "extra heat load generated by the light rig... may be the tipping point" (texts-ari-electrical.txt:642)
Mixing room / control room audio Trident 88 console, Pro Tools rig, 8 outboard preamps (2 Demeter / 4 AEA / 2 Manley), Ocean Way mains + amps, outboard racks 120 V 1.5-2.5 ESTIMATE ~/trc-studio-docs-site/data/corpus.json; data/manuals/trident-88.md
Other 3 rooms' gear (Recording, Rehearsal, Podcast) amps, keyboards, PA, monitors, cameras, LED screens 120 V 0.3-0.8 each, 1.0-2.4 total ESTIMATE project_trc_rooms.md; TRC AC Issue Document
Kitchen full kitchen; multiple mini fridges (SCE named mini fridges "the most common culprit of power demand spikes") 120 V 1.5-3.0 ESTIMATE (main fridge 0.15-0.5 running, mini fridge 0.05-0.12 each running but 0.6-0.8 starting, microwave 1.2-1.5 intermittent, dishwasher 1.2-1.8) texts-ari-electrical.txt:102; TRC/Building/video/Fridge/
House lighting, network, servers, cameras, security Vivint system, glass-break monitors, camera rig 120 V 2.0-3.0 ESTIMATE texts-taji-chats.txt:507, :89; project_piano_wine_camera_setup.md
Water heater unknown, may be gas unknown 0 if gas, 4.5 if electric ESTIMATE not found in any local file

Panel infrastructure


2. Scenarios

Assumptions common to both

  1. Demand is a 15-minute average, so startup inrush is excluded from every figure below.
  2. AC running kW uses total unit draw (compressor + condenser fan + indoor blower).
  3. The Live Room unit runs above catalogue draw because it is fighting 1.44 in. w.c. against a rated 0.8. A 10% uplift is folded into its range.
  4. Load allocation between the two meters is unknown. Both scenarios are stated facility-combined; the per-meter split is the single biggest open question, because the tariff threshold is per-meter.
  5. The 7 rooftop units do not all run continuously. On a hot evening 5 of 7 running with 2 cycling gives a coincidence factor around 0.8.

Scenario A, worst-case coincident, hot day, evening session

Everything TRC can turn on at once, all seven ACs loaded, sauna hot, wall bright, car charging.

Group kW
7 rooftop AC units, all running 28.0
Sauna heater (3-phase) 6.0
EV charger, unlimited 11.3
LED wall, bright content 7.0
Live Room lighting rig, full 3.0
All studio audio (mixing + 4 rooms) 4.0
Kitchen 2.5
House lighting, IT, security, cameras 2.5
Cold plunge 0.8
Total connected, zero diversity 65.1 kW
With realistic coincidence (AC 0.8, kitchen 0.6, lighting 0.8) ~55 kW
With the EV charger limited as it is today ~46 kW

Sanity check against measurement: the highest 15-minute reading ever recorded across both meters is 36.8 kW (2025-08-23 17:45). That peak almost certainly did not include the sauna and the EV charger and a fully lit LED wall simultaneously, which is why the bottom-up worst case sits above it. Treat 45-55 kW as the true worst case and 36.8 kW as the demonstrated worst case. Confidence: moderate on the bottom-up figure, high on the 36.8 kW.

Scenario B, typical busy evening

Summer weekday, 6-9pm, a session in the Live Room and one other room, four ACs running, no sauna, no EV charging, LED wall on typical content.

Group kW
4 rooftop AC units running (incl. the 5-ton) 16.0
LED wall, typical content 3.0
Live Room lighting rig, show level 1.5
Mixing room + 2 active rooms of audio 2.5
Kitchen 1.5
House lighting, IT, security 2.5
Total 27.0 kW

Sanity check against measurement: combined 95th-percentile demand in summer evening hours is 22-24 kW (18:00-21:00, Jun-Sep). Winter evening 95th percentile is 16-18 kW. The bottom-up 27 kW sits just above the measured 95th percentile and below the measured max, which is the right place for it. Confidence: high.

What this means for the 20 kW ceiling


3. What could NOT be determined, the on-site read list for Taji

Everything below is a physical nameplate read or a panel trace. None of it exists in any file on this machine.

A. Per rooftop unit (all 7), photograph the data plate on each

For each unit, in order, and tag each unit with the number staff already use ("units 4 & 7"):

  1. Brand and full model number
  2. Serial number
  3. Nominal tons / BTU (often encoded in the model, e.g. the "060" in PKHP-M-0601BB = 5 ton)
  4. Voltage and phase, the plate reads e.g. "208-230V / 1 Ph / 60 Hz". Confirm no unit is 3-phase. Victor believes 1 or 2 systems might be 3-phase (texts-ari-electrical.txt:980); Farzad says only the sauna is (texts-taji-chats.txt:456). One of them is wrong and the answer decides whether hard-start kits can be fitted at all.
  5. RLA (rated load amps, compressor)
  6. LRA (locked rotor amps, compressor), this is the inrush figure
  7. MCA (minimum circuit ampacity) and MOCP / max fuse or breaker
  8. FLA of the condenser fan motor and the indoor blower motor
  9. Which breaker in which panel feeds it, and the breaker's amp rating
  10. Which of the two SCE meters that panel is fed from , this is the highest-value single answer on the list

B. Sauna

C. LED wall

D. EV charger

E. Panels and meters

F. Remaining unknowns with no owner


4. Sources consulted

Path What it gave
~/electrical-plan/context/BRIEF.md Framing, SCE account numbers, cast
~/electrical-plan/context/texts-ari-electrical.txt Demand spikes, soft-starter thread, Tesla 11.3 kW, mini-fridge warning, 7 soft starters quote
~/electrical-plan/context/texts-taji-chats.txt Farzad phase answer, Victor compressor-saver thread
~/electrical-plan/context/email-dossier.md EV-charger limiting timeline, SCE contradictions, Zinsco closure
.../Dropbox/SCE/FULL DATA 2025-JAN2026/*.csv 13 months of 15-minute interval data, both meters
.../Dropbox/SCE/ViewBill01052026.pdf and 12 other bills Rate schedules, per-meter thresholds, $14.81/kW demand charge
.../Dropbox/TRC/AC/RFP/TRC_Live_Room_HVAC_RFP.md and TRC AC Issue Document 3_18_26.pdf 7-unit count, Live Room model, room dimensions, duct layout
.../Dropbox/TRC/AC/Airflow Report - Recording Club.pdf Measured 1,528 of 2,000 CFM, 1.44 vs 0.8 in. w.c.
.../Dropbox/TRC/AC/Reyes - Proposal ....pdf Carrier 48ESNA4809030, 4-ton, 220 V
.../Dropbox/TRC/AC/Brian Banks info/.../Pacific Air Co. Proposal 5-23-25.pdf "1-phase, 230 volts, ACPRO M# PKHP-M-0601BB"
.../Dropbox/TRC/AC/Elite Heating ... estimate_16393.pdf "six HVAC rooftop systems"; Lennox 5-ton quoted 208-230 V 1 ph
.../Dropbox/TRC/Inspection/Spero & Midler ...-Secured.pdf Zinsco, 200/400 A service, overhead feed, panel location
~/.claude/.../memory/reference_trc_led_wall_purchase.md 49 IYO DW1.9 SPro cabinets, NovaStar VX600
~/trc-demand-pricing/data/GROUND-TRUTH.md Room list, operating hours, occupancy by daypart
~/trc-studio-docs-site/data/ Studio audio equipment (no HVAC or electrical content)

Searched and found nothing relevant: ~/Documents, ~/Desktop, ~/Projects, the Gregbrain Obsidian vault, ~/trc-inventory-db, ~/trc-manual, ~/trc-canonical.