Forever ery homeowner, it is critical to have a basic understanding of your property's electrical load. The concern becomes much more prominent if you are renovating your property or moving to a new location to set up your home or a commercial business.
If you understand the basics, getting an electrical load license seems easier. There are companies that offer similar services once you upload your architectural plan and information related to your property such as area, occupancy, type of equipment, etc.
Before we get into the details of obtaining services, let's first understand the basics of an electrical load letter.
What is an electrical load chart?
In essence, electrical load refers to the amount of energy required to power electrical appliances like kitchen equipment, lamps, washing machines, dryers, water heaters, ACs, etc.
The electrical equipment we use in our residential and commercial facilities receives energy from within the building. Whereas utility companies like National Grid and Con Edison share specific energy with these buildings. This is why it is important to have electrical load calculations performed by an experienced service professional to order and demonstrate any additional power supplies.
An electrical load chart, on the other hand, is a classification document that provides all information about the overall electrical load of a facility to determine which components can work with the load within the facility. There are electrical load charts for commercial and residential buildings. Typically, tenants or floor owners share an electrical load letter with the building management company or upload it directly to the utility's website.
Get an electrical load letter in the shortest response time
Why is an electrical load letter necessary?
Heating equipment, ACs, chillers, computers and lighting are the types of appliances that require specific loads. When the electrical load is accurately known, an adequate supply of electricity can be obtained from power companies. By knowing the precise electrical load, building owners can save money by getting an installation with the ideal capacity.
Appliances with electric motors are generally considered the largest loads in any building (including commercial and residential). Furthermore, AC compressors have the highest energy consumption. Finding the precise load requires the service of a professional engineering firm.
Another reason to consider services is when renovation of a building is required. There may be some old wiring that is not sufficient to carry the designed load. This means that the electrical infrastructure needs updating to meet the needs of the installations.
What information does the electrical load card contain?
Regardless of the type of load letter, both documents (residential and commercial) will have general and specific information regarding the type of building, customer data, square footage of the building, type of electrical service provided, specified voltage (whether commercial or residential and as required by local codes), details of load management devices and standby power, to name a few.
How is electrical charge calculated?
Calculating electrical load requires a basic knowledge of the load in amps of all appliances in a property. It is recommended that your facility's total load never exceed 80 percent of the electrical service capacity.
To gain a deeper understanding, it is essential to familiarize yourself with three common electrical terms (Watts, Amps, Volts) commonly used to find out the electrical load of an installation. There is a simple formula (written below) to calculate the charge of an entire electrical circuit.
Volts x Amps = Watts
Watts/Volts = Amps
While these calculations will help you get an idea of the ideal load allowed in your facility, it is best to obtain services from qualified engineers. These services are easily available from MEP design companies that offer end-to-end services.
NY Engineers 3-Step Process for Obtaining an Electrical Load Letter
Here's a summary of NY Engineer's 3-step process:
1. Getting the necessary data from customers
The first step begins by checking the fuel needs for large equipment. This includes a dryer, cooking equipment and a water heater. Professionals need to know whether the equipment will use gas or electricity to operate.
Another important concern is finding out the type of HVAC system to calculate the load according to the standard system or model number. Obtaining the floor plan, specific area (square feet), and occupancy type are also included in the first step.
2. Doing all the calculations
Having accurate load estimates, professionals are then required to calculate all energy needs and supply.
The professional's next concern is to check the system's consumption if specific details are available on the manufacturer's website or catalog.
3. Preparation and sending of letters
The last step for professionals includes the preparation and printing of letters based on the calculations.
After stamping, the electrical load letter is shared with customers or uploaded to the energy company's website such as Con Edition, National grid and DTE energy to start the other processes carried out by these companies.
Thinking ahead
A simple electrical upgrade to your facility can make any future electrical expansion possible. As soon as you add new utilities to your home, the electrical load must also be increased. The right electrical upgrade can help improve the appearance of any place, while also ensuring that overload issues don't occur.
