Commercial Loads Part 1 How to apply demand factors

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The electrical load requirements for commercial installations result in a great deal of diversity in usage. In
other words, while some types of equipment and electrical loads are in use for extended periods, others are
only used occasionally or for short periods of time. In addition, there are often two different types of electrical
loads on the same service or feeder that will not be brought into service simultaneously by their very nature,
such as heating and air conditioning. For this reason, we apply demand factors when calculating service
and feeder loads. Different sets of demand factors apply for different types of electrical loads and even
for different types of commercial buildings.
Although most of the requirements for service and feeder commercial load calculations are found in Art. 220,
other rules affecting these loads are scattered throughout the Code. For instance, Chapter 3 of the NEC
provides information on the wiring methods used. Other Articles may provide a more in-depth snapshot of
the requirements for particular equipment or applications, such as the specific requirements for motor
circuits found in Art. 430.

Fig. 1.When determining conductor ampacity, remember the allowable ampacities listed in Table 310.16 are affected by
conductor insulation, ambient temperature, and conductor bundling.

Common commercial occupancies include banks, stores, restaurants, and office buildings. Some other
locations with their own special requirements include marinas and mobile home parks. The NEC also
provides specific requirements for calculating the loads for restaurant equipment, show-window lighting, sign
lighting, multi-outlet assemblies, and electric welders.
When doing commercial load calculations, you have to know when the Code allows the application of a
demand factor and when. On the other hand, it's necessary to consider a load as "continuous duty."

Conductor ampacity
The ampacity of a conductor is the rating (in amperes) that a conductor can carry continuously without
exceeding its insulation temperature rating [Art. 100]. The allowable ampacities listed in Table 310.16 are
affected by conductor insulation, ambient temperature, and conductor bundling [310.10 and 310.15(B)] (Fig.
1).
Section 110.14(C)(1)(a) states that terminals are rated 60C for equipment rated 100A or less, unless
marked 75C. Although most terminals are now rated 75C, be careful of assumptions some equipment is
still rated 60C. Always read the specifications and manufacturer's labeling information carefully to know
what you're working with. If in doubt, be sure to use the rules of 110.14(C).

Continuous loads
15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, 100, 110, 125, 150, 175, 200, 225, 250, 300, 350, 400, 500,
600, 800, 1,000, 1,200, and 1,600.
Article 100 defines a continuous load as a load where the maximum current is expected to continue for 3
hours or more. Some NEC sections tell you when certain loads are continuous. For example, 422.13
requires that water heaters with a capacity of 120 gal or less be considered continuous loads for purposes

of sizing branch circuits. Most commercial lighting and electric signs are considered continuous loads.
Unfortunately, the Code does not always spell out clearly when to consider a load as a continuous load for
calculation purposes.

Fig. 2. Where the conductor ampacity doesnt correspond with a standard overcurrent device rating, the next higher rated
device can be used if its not more than 800A.

Ungrounded conductors for branch circuits, feeders, and services are sized at a minimum of 125% of the
continuous load before applying any adjustment factor [ 210.19(A)(1), 215.2(A)(1), and 230.42(A)]. Likewise,
the overcurrent protection devices (OCPD) for branch circuits and feeders are sized at a minimum of 125%
of the continuous load [210.20(A), and 215.3].
Neutral conductors that aren't connected to an overcurrent protection device can be sized at 100% of the
continuous and noncontinuous load [210.19(A)(1) Ex 2 and 215.2(A)(1) Ex 2].
Example: If a 60A continuous load with 75C-rated terminals is supplied by a feeder with four currentcarrying conductors, it's necessary to adjust the conductor ampacity for four current-carrying conductors.

Fig. 3. If the circuits overcurrent device exceeds 800A, the conductor ampacity (after ampacity adjustment) must have a
rating not less than the overcurrent device rating.

Step 1. Take the continuous load times 125% to find the minimum size for conductors and overcurrent
protection.
60A x 1.25 = 75A
Step 2. Select the conductors using the column of Table 310.16 that corresponds with the temperature
rating of the terminals, which was given in this example as 75C [110.14(C)(1)]. 4 AWG is rated 85A at 75C
[Table 310.16].
Step 3. Verify that the conductor is large enough for any necessary deratings, using the column that
corresponds to the conductor's temperature rating. If you're using THHN conductors, use the 90C column
of Table 310.16. According to the 90C column of Table 310.16, 4 AWG is rated at 95A [110.14(C)]. Adjust
the ampacity by 80% for four current-carrying conductors [Table 310.15(B)(2)(a)].
95A x 0.80 = 76A
This verifies that a 4 THHN conductor is large enough. An 80A breaker is allowed, because 240.4(B) allows
rounding up to the next standard size listed in 240.6(A), and 80A is the next standard size above the 76A
adjusted conductor ampacity.

Conductor overcurrent protection

The purpose of overcurrent protection is to protect conductors and equipment from excessive temperatures
[240.1 FPN]. There are many different rules for protecting conductors and equipment. The general rule is
that conductors must be protected at the point where they receive their supply in accordance with their
ampacities, which are listed in Table 310.16. Other methods of protection are permitted or required, as listed
in 240.4. These include:
Overcurrent protection devices rated 800A or less. You can use the next higher standard rating see
Standard Size OCPDs) of overcurrent protection device above the ampacity of the ungrounded conductors,
if all of the following conditions are met:
1. The conductors don't supply multi-outlet receptacle branch circuits.
2. The ampacity of a conductor, after ampacity adjustment and/or correction, doesn't correspond with the
standard rating of a fuse or circuit breaker in 240.6(A).
3. The overcurrent protection device rating doesn't exceed 800A.

Fig. 4. The figure demonstrates a sample problem of how to calculate general lighting for a hotel with 40 rooms.

A 400A overcurrent device can protect 500kcmil conductors, where each conductor has an ampacity of
380A at 75C, per Table 310.16 (Fig. 2).
This "next size up" rule doesn't apply to feeder tap conductors [240.21(B)] or transformer secondary
conductors [240.21(C)].
Overcurrent protection devices rated over 800A. If the overcurrent protection device exceeds 800A, the
conductor ampacity must have a rating of not less than the rating of the overcurrent protection device. A
1,200A overcurrent protection device can protect three sets of 600kcmil conductors per phase, where each
conductor has an ampacity of 420A at 75C per Table 310.16 (Fig. 3).

Voltages
Unless other voltages are specified, branch circuit, feeder, and service loads are to be calculated at a
nominal system voltage of 120V, 120/240V, 120/208V, 240V, 277/480V, or 480V. [220.5(A)]

Fractions
Where calculations result in a fraction of less than 0.50A, you can drop the fraction.

Lighting with demand factors

Table 220.12 requires a minimum load per square foot for general lighting, depending on the type of
occupancy. For certain types of occupancies, Table 220.42 allows a demand factor that can be applied to
the calculated lighting load. For instance, the guest rooms of hotels and motels are allowed the following
demand factors for the general lighting load:

First 20,000VA at 50% demand factor

Next 80,000VA at 40% demand factor

Remainder VA at 30% demand factor

Let's do an example problem. What is the general lighting calculated load for a 40-room hotel? Each unit
contains 600 sq ft of living area (Fig. 4).

As per Tables 220.12 and 220.42, 40 units x 600 sq ft x 2VA = 48,000VA. The first 20,000VA is calculated at
50% (20,000VA x 0.50 = 10,000VA). The next 80,000VA is calculated at 40% (28,000VA x 0.40 = 11,200VA).
The sum of these two totals is 21,200VA.

Lighting without demand factors

The feeder/service general lighting load for commercial occupancies other than guest rooms of motels and
hotels, hospitals, and storage warehouses is assumed to be continuous. Calculate it at 125% of the general
lighting load, as listed in Table 220.12.
The lighting loads listed in Table 220.12 are minimum requirements. If the actual lighting load is known
and it is larger than the Table 220.12 value use the actual load.

Lighting, miscellaneous
The feeder/service calculated load for each linear foot of show-window lighting must be calculated at 200VA
per ft. Consider show-window lighting to be a continuous load. Example D3 in Annex D of the NEC provides
a good example calculation that includes show-window branch circuits.
A 3,000 sq ft store has 30 ft of show window with a total of 80 duplex receptacles. The service is 120/240V,
single-phase. The actual connected lighting load is 8,500VA [Annex D, Example D3].
General lighting = 3,000 sq ft at 3VA per sq ft
General lighting = 9,000 VA
Window lighting load [220.14(G)] = 30 ft at 200VA per ft
Window lighting load = 6,000VA
Outside sign circuit [220.14(F)] = 1,200VA
Lighting total = 9,000VA + 6,000VA + 1,200VA
Lighting total =16,200VA
(This is a continuous load, and will be taken times 125% for the feeder/service sizing.)
In the example, 125% of the actual connected lighting load (8,500VA x 1.25 = 10,650VA) is less than 125%
of the load from Table 220.12 (9,000VA x 1.25 = 11,250VA), so the minimum lighting load of 9,000VA from
Table 220.12 is used in the calculations. Had the actual lighting load been greater than the value calculated
from Table 220.12, 125% of the actual connected lighting load would have been used. See NEC Annex D,
Example D3 for the full calculation on this store building.
As you can see, it's important to determine what kinds of loads you have before starting your commercial
load calculations. You can avoid confusion and prevent errors by mapping it all out. For example, use a
simple spreadsheet on a computer, or graph it out on paper. If you list each load in the first column, you can
name the applicable tables in the other columns from the more than half dozen tables that you may need to
select from.
In part two of this installment, we'll look at calculating receptacle loads and introduce the optional calculation
method for commercial occupancies. The commercial calculations we've discussed thus far have used the
standard method, but the Code does provide an optional method for some calculations.

Commercial Loads Part 2 Calculating commercial receptacle loads and

understanding the optional calculation method
Last month in Code Basics, Commercial Loads Part 1, on page 24 of the January issue, we discussed
when its okay to apply demand factors when calculating electrical load requirements for commercial
installations. Because different sets of demand factors apply for different types of electrical loads (and even
for different types of commercial buildings), this article demonstrated why its important to determine what
kinds of loads you have before starting your commercial load calculations.

Fig. 1. This example shows how to determine the multioutlet assembly calculated load on 10 workstations, which could be
found in a typical office setting.

In part two of this installment, its time to address how to calculate receptacle loads and introduce the
optional calculation method for commercial occupancies.

The basics
The multioutlet receptacle assembly, such as a plug strip, is common in commercial applications. For each 5
ft (or fraction thereof) of multioutlet receptacle assembly, use 180VA in your feeder/service calculations. This
is assuming that it's unlikely for the appliances plugged into this assembly to operate simultaneously
[220.14(H)].
If you expect several appliances to operate simultaneously from the same multioutlet receptacle assembly,
consider each foot (or fraction of a foot) as 180VA for feeder/service calculations. A multioutlet receptacle
assembly isn't generally considered a continuous load.
Try this sample problem to determine the feeder/service load. What's the calculated load for 10 workstations
(Fig. 1), each of which has 10 ft of multioutlet receptacle assembly (not used simultaneously) and 3 ft of
multioutlet receptacle assembly (used simultaneously)?

Fig. 2. Each 15A or 20A, 125V general-use receptacle outlet is considered as 180VA per mounting strap.

10 stations with 10 ft per station = 100 ft of multioutlet assembly (not simultaneously used)
10 stations with 3 ft per station = 30 ft of multioutlet assembly (simultaneously used)
100 ft 5 ft per section = 20 sections x 180VA = 3,600VA
30 ft 1 ft per section = 30 sections x 180VA = 5,400VA
Calculated load = 3,600VA + 5,400VA = 9,000VA

This next example shows how to size the branch circuits using 20A branch circuits.
First, find the VA allowed per circuit:
120V x 20A = 2,400VA for noncontinuous loads
Then, divide by 180VA to find how many 180VA sections a 20A circuit can serve:
2,400VA 180VA = 13
Each work bench requires 2 180VA sections for the 10 ft section, and 3 180VA sections for the 3 ft
section, which is 5 180VA sections per workbench. At 13 sections per circuit, a 20A branch circuit can
serve two tables.

Receptacle VA load

Fig. 3. This example demonstrates how to calculate the receptacle load for an 18,000-sq-ft office building containing 160
receptacles.

Receptacles are generally not considered continuous loads. The load for a general-use receptacle outlet in
a non-dwelling occupancy is 180VA per strap [220.14(I)]. The maximum number of receptacle outlets
permitted on a commercial or industrial circuit depends on the circuit ampacity. Calculate the number of
receptacles per circuit by dividing the VA rating of the circuit by 180VA for each receptacle strap (also called
a yoke), as shown in Fig. 2.
Based on the Art. 100 definition, a duplex receptacle is two receptacles on the same yoke. For the purposes
of this calculation, a single receptacle or a duplex receptacle each count as 180VA [220.14(I)].

Receptacle feeder/service calculated load

Calculate receptacle loads at not less than 180VA per outlet (strap) per 220.14(I) and fixed multioutlet
assemblies per 220.14(H). According to 220.44, you can add these calculated loads to the lighting loads and
apply the lighting load demand factors given in Table 220.42. Alternatively, you can use the demand factors
for receptacles given in Table 220.44, which are as follows:

First 10kVA at 100% demand factor.

Remainder over 10kVA at 50% demand factor.

Calculate the receptacle load using 180VA for each single or multiple receptacle on one yoke or strap
[220.14(I)].

Fig. 4. Follow the rules in Sec. 220.14(F) for guidance on how to calculate the feeder/service conductor load for an electric
sign.

The receptacle calculated load for office buildings and banks is the larger calculation of (1) or (2):
1. Determine the receptacle calculated load at 180VA per receptacle yoke [220.14(I)], then apply the
demand factor from Table 220.44.
2. Determine the receptacle calculated load at 1VA per sq ft.
It's common not to know the exact number of receptacles that will eventually be installed in an office building
or bank. The main structure is built first, then individual office space that's rented out to each tenant will
often have a custom installation or a new tenant will remodel the space to fit his or her needs. A
calculation of 1VA per square foot allows a generic feeder/service demand for general receptacles.
What is the receptacle calculated load for an 18,000-sq-ft bank/office building containing 160 15A and 20A,
125V receptacles (straps)? [220.14(K)(1)], as shown in Fig. 3.
160 receptacles (straps) x 180VA [220.14(I)] = 28,800VA
Total receptacle load = 28,800VA
First 10,000VA at 100% (10,000VA x 1.00 = 10,000VA)
Remainder at 50% (18,800VA x 0.50 = 9,400VA) [Table 220.44]
Receptacle calculated load = 19,400VA
Compare this to the 1VA per sq ft method [220.14(K)(2)]
18,000 x 1VA per sq ft = 18,000VA (smaller answer, omit)

Sign circuits
The NEC requires each commercial occupancy accessible to pedestrians to have at least one 20A branch
circuit for a sign [600.5(A)]. The load for the required exterior sign or outline lighting must be a minimum of
1,200VA [220.14(F)]. A sign outlet is a continuous load, and the feeder/service conductor must be sized at
125% of the continuous load [215.2(A)(1) and 230.42].
What is the feeder/service conductor calculated load for one electric sign (Fig. 4)?
Feeder/service calculated load = 1,200VA x 1.25 = 1,500VA

Commercial/industrial vs. residential

You've probably noticed that receptacle calculations for commercial/industrial applications differ from those
that apply to residential applications. The differences exist because in residential locations, the receptacles
are generally placed much closer together for convenience purposes but used in a diverse manner so
that all receptacles are not heavily loaded during all periods of time. In commercial occupancies, there are
fewer rules governing receptacle placement, so they may be placed as needed, but may be called into use
more often and for longer periods of time. In dwelling units, the receptacle load is included in the general
lighting load VA calculated according to Table 220.12 and is then subject to the demand factors of Table
220.42. The 180VA per receptacle strap allowance does not apply to dwelling unit calculations.
In Part 1, we looked at how to calculate commercial loads using the standard method. You can save time by
using the optional method. The optional method calculations are located in Part IV of Art. 220. The optional
method calculations vary according to the type of building:

New dwelling units (220.82)

Existing dwelling units (220.83)
Multifamily dwellings (220.84)
Schools (220.86)
New restaurants (220.88)

All-electric restaurant
If a restaurant has electric space heating, electric air-conditioning, or both, you can use the optional method,
which consists of the following two steps:
1. Determine the total connected load. Add the nameplate rating of all loads at 100%, including both the
air-conditioning and heating load [Table 220.88 Note].
2. Apply the demand factors from Table 220.88 to the total connected load calculated in Step 1.
An example will help illustrate how the optional method works for restaurants. What's the calculated load for
an all-electric restaurant (120/208V, 3-phase) that has a total connected load of 300kVA?
Total connected load = 300kVA
First 200kVA at 80% (200kVA x 0.80 = 160kVA)
Next 201kVA to 325kVA at 10% (100kVA x 0.10 = 10kVA
Total calculated load = 170kVA
I = VA (E x 1.732)
I = 170,000VA (208V x 1.732)
I = 170,000VA 360V = 472A
Paralleling two conductors per phase: 472A 2 raceways = 236A
250kcmil is rated 255A at 75C: 255A x 2 conductors (in parallel) = 510A
The minimum neutral size allowed when paralleling conductors is 1/0 AWG [250.24(C)(2) and 310.4].
What size grounding electrode conductor do you need if the service uses two sets of 250kcmil conductors in
parallel?
First, find the equivalent area of the parallel conductors:
250kcmil x 2 conductors = 500kcmil [Table 250.66, Note 1]
500kcmil requires a 1/0 AWG grounding electrode conductor [Table 250.66].
The largest grounding electrode conductor to a ground rod is 6 AWG. The largest to a concrete encased
electrode (Ufer) is 4 AWG [250.66(A) and 250.66(B)].

Not all-electric restaurant

What if the restaurant isn't all-electric? Try calculating the load for a not all-electric restaurant (120/208V, 3phase) that has a total connected load of 300kVA.
Total connected load = 300kVA
First 200kVA at 100% (200kVA x 1.00 = 200kVA
201kVA to 325kVA at 50% (100kVA x 0.50 = 50kVA
Total calculated load = 250kVA
I = VA (E x 1.732)
I = 250,000VA (208V x 1.732)
I = 250,000VA 360V = 694A
Paralleling two conductors per phase: 694A 2 raceways = 347A
500kcmil is rated 380A at 75C: (380A x 2 = 760A).
When a calculation result does not correspond to a standard overcurrent protection size, we are allowed to
round up to the next standard size, as long as it does not exceed 800A [240.4(B)]. This would allow the use
of an 800A overcurrent device [240.6(A)]

The minimum neutral size when paralleling conductors is 1/0 AWG [250.24(C)(2) and 310.4].
Fortunately, you don't have to use both the standard and optional methods and then pick the one that is the
larger. You are allowed to use either approach, so you can save time by using the optional method.