Generally speaking, an electrical panel switches off when its power is too low for your energy use. It is therefore essential to calculate the power you need to supply your home or building before choosing a device or offer. This will help you avoid power cuts while you go about your daily business.

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What is the power of an electrical panel?

The power of an electrical panel is the maximum quantity of electricity that can be used in an instant, within a building or even a residence. It is expressed in kVA (kilovoltampere) or kW (kilowatt).

That is, if the power of your electrical panel is 6 kVA, the total amount of electricity that you can use simultaneously is 6 kW. Otherwise, the device may break, causing a power outage that can damage your devices.

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How do you calculate the power you need for your electrical panel?

The power you need for your electrical panel depends on several factors:

• The living area of the building;
• electrical appliances;
• The lights;
• Heating devices.

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1. Make a list of the devices you use and their power

To get started, you need to list all the devices you have along with their power. Here is an illustration:

• Heating device: 70 W/m² per 100 m²;
• Iron: 400 W;
• Washing machine: 2,500 W;
• Dishwasher: 750 W;
• Refrigerator: 500 W;
• Lighting: 40 W per room for 3 rooms;
• Other electrical accessories: 50W

2. Calculate the quantity of electricity used if all the devices work simultaneously

You then need to calculate how much electricity is used if all the devices work at the same time. For our example, it is (70 x 100 + 400 + 400 + 2,500 + 750 + 500 + 40 x 3 + 50) W = 11,320 W, or 11.32 kW. As a result, the power you need for your electrical panel is around 12 kW.

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3. Make adjustments according to uses

You can make adjustments assuming that you are not using all devices at the same time. This is because only the heaters and the refrigerator work at the same time and should therefore be included in the calculation. On the other hand, it is possible to arrange your schedule so that the dishwasher, washing machine and iron do not work simultaneously. In this case, the required power would become (70 x 100 + 2,500 + 2,500 + 40 x 3 + 50) = 9,670 W, or 9.67 kW.

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Conclusion

In short, you need to have an estimate of how you use your appliances and lighting devices to be able to calculate how much power is needed for your electrical panel. In general, it varies from 3 to 12 kW for a residence and from 12 to 36 kW for a commercial building.

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