While power outages at home are inconvenient, power outages at business might result in significant financial and legal risks. This is because companies nowadays depend considerably, if not fully, on electricity. So, if you run a firm where downtime is not an option, a commercial generator is unquestionably a wise investment.
These are big, heavy-duty stationary systems that use a diesel-fueled engine to create single-phase or three-phase electricity. When a power outage occurs, these units can produce a large quantity of electricity, ensuring that your business remains operational.
However, there are various methods you can use to find the exact size of your commercial generator. This statement may leave you wondering,” How Many Kilowatts (KW) Do I Need for My Burke, VA Commercial Backup Generator?” especially if you consider purchasing a commercial generator for your firm for the first time. As professionals in this field, let us shed some light on this concern.
How Many Kilowatts (KW) Do I Need for My Burke, VA Commercial Backup Generator?
Here are some of the most common methods used for commercial generator sizing.
Full Load Capacity by Measurement
The steps involved in this method are,
- When your company is running at full capacity, use a clamp-on ammeter on each leg of the electrical line and add the measurements together. This shows how many amps the facility uses in total.
- Now, for three-phase current multiply the total amps by three and for single-phase current, multiply the total amps by two. Then multiply the total amps by the supply voltage and then by 1,000 for the needed Kilowatts (kW).
- To determine your company’s Full Load Capacity, go to the National Electrical Code website.
- Kilowatts at Full Load = Total Amps x Supply Voltage / 1,000
- Reserve Capacity = Kilowatts at Full Load multiplied by 0.25.
- Now, simply add Full Load Kilowatts and Reserve Capacity to get the generator size.
Finding Full Load Capacity by Usage History
See your utility company’s billing system to determine your maximum power use. The majority of firms will charge you for your peak demand every month. Analyze the prior year’s power use to determine the maximum peak demand. Also, add 25% for reserve capacity to get the final number.
Calculate the square footage
The square footage size approach is most often utilized in retail settings, including grocery shops, convenience stores, restaurants, and other commercial establishments. Calculate the generator size using the formulas below.
- Fifty kilowatts Plus 10 watts per square foot for retail.
- Fifty kilowatts Plus 5 watts per square foot for commercial applications
If you are still confused about how to size your commercial generator, we recommend getting in touch with Power and Integrated Systems. To contact us, please fill in the contact form on our website. Once you have done this, please sit back and relax, as one of our professionals will soon get back to you with all the information you need to get your commercial generator up and running.