Electrical load is an essential concept to understand when building a power system for your business. Different types of machines and devices consume different amounts of energy and require different types of electrical loads to function.
During the design stage of an electrical system, the concept of load needs to be at the center of the conversation. Electrical load is a fundamental principle as it represents the capability and upper limits of an electrical system. Today we’re going to learn what an electrical load is, explain the different types of electrical loads, and discuss the importance of planning for and understanding your company’s electrical load.
MTA will work with you to examine (or study) the electrical design system that was created for your business, in order to make sure that the electrical load is properly managed and meets California business requirements.
What is an Electrical Load?
An electrical load is anything connected to a circuit that consumes electricity. When a laptop is charging from an electrical outlet, that laptop is an electrical load. The more devices that are connected to a circuit the heavier the “load” that the circuit must carry.
The term “load” can also refer to all the connected devices and appliances that are using electricity, the total power demand that the circuit is providing, or the total amount of electricity available from the circuit.
Different Types of Electrical Load
Electric loads are categorized into three distinct types: resistive, inductive, and capacitive.
Resistive Load
Resistive loads are one of the most common types of loads because they primarily power incandescent light bulbs. Resistive loads don’t contain moving parts, provide a constant flow of energy, and generate heat as an output. When a light switch is turned on, the filament of the bulb is warmed by the resistive load and it produces light.
Examples of items that use Resistive Load include:
- Light Bulbs
- Coffee Makers
- Toasters
- Ovens
- Electric Stoves
- Space Heaters
- Water Heaters
- Hair Dryers
Inductive Load
Inductive loads are found in devices that use moving parts. This type of load provides power to motors in devices as large as a refrigerator, or as small as a USB speaker. Unlike a resistive load that uses a constant flow of energy, inductive loads use an alternating supply of energy.
The inductive load will pass the alternating current through a coil of wire which generates a rotating magnetic field. This magnetic field creates motion to run devices like a motor or a fan.
Examples of items that use an Inductive Load includes:
- Refrigerators
- Motors
- Compressors
- Speakers
- Electromagnets
- Transformers
- Solenoids
- Electric Drills
- Air Conditioners
Capacitive Load
The third type of electrical load is known as the capacitive load. Capacitive loads are used to regulate voltage in high-voltage power systems. Capacitive loads use an alternating current to store energy inside a capacitor and release it when needed.
Unlike the other examples, capacitive load isn’t tied to a single type of machinery or device, and simply works in conjunction with the other energy types to regulate and manage voltage. Power circuits will use a combination of capacitive, resistive, and inductive loads to function properly.
Power Systems and Applications
Now that we’ve learned the various types of energy loads, let’s discuss the four main categories of energy loads that exist in a power system.
Domestic or Residential Load
Residential load refers to the total energy consumed by all the devices being used in a home. Because this total depends on the energy habits of the people living in the home, a residential load can vary significantly from one household to the next.
The residential load will consist of home appliances like refrigerators, fans, lighting fixtures, and air conditioners. Residential load varies considerably when high energy consumption appliances like washing machines, dryers, and air conditioners are in use.
Commercial Load
Commercial load includes businesses like office buildings, restaurants, and strip malls. These devices include lighting, computers, commercial ovens, and elevators. Commercial load differs from residential load because the commercial-grade appliances in these businesses consume larger amounts of energy and are being used for several hours a day. As a result, commercial load uses more power from an energy grid than residential load.
Industrial Load
Industrial load is all the energy used by manufacturing plants, factories, and industrial facilities. Energy-consuming devices in an industrial load will consist of heavy machinery, conveyor belts, and other large process machines. Industrial load is greater than commercial load because the high-power machinery found in an industrial setting will likely be in use for the entire business day.
Municipal Load
Municipal load is anything that powers a city’s infrastructure. This includes electrical plants, sewer systems, water filtration and distribution, and traffic lights. Municipal load will consume less energy than industrial load but is used for longer hours as many of these items function twenty-four hours per day.
The Importance of Understanding Your Electrical Load
You know that when you turn your car on, the car’s battery has enough power to start the engine. But what if you connected a dozen cars to the same battery and tried to start them all at the same time. What would happen?
Understanding your electrical load can have serious ramifications for costs, performance, and safety. You’ll need the right wiring, circuit breakers, and machinery to function properly and safely. Designing a power system correctly means understanding how much energy you’ll need to run your business today, along with forecasting for future energy consumption that accompanies expansion.
Every power system has limitations. Understanding your electrical load will help you manage your power consumption, costs, and electrical hazards.
Energy Load and Safety
When it comes to understanding your electrical load, safety is the most important consideration. An overloaded power system can result in damage to equipment, structures, and injury to people nearby. Correctly calculating your energy needs can help you avoid tripped breakers, machinery-damaging voltage drops, and electrical fires. Along with proper setup, periodic maintenance and inspections can reduce potential hazards and will ensure that your system is performing optimally.
Energy Load and Cost
Everyone knows that the more electricity you use, the more it costs. But did you know that when your electrical system is set up improperly it can result in higher electricity bills? Conducting a professional electrical engineering study on your power system not only improves safety and reliability, it can also save you hundreds or thousands of dollars on your energy bills. As energy costs continue to rise, managing monthly expenses is more important than ever, and the better you understand your energy load the more you can control your electricity costs.
Energy Load and Reliability
If you’ve ever been in a blackout, you know that it’s nearly impossible to get anything done. If your energy load exceeds the limitations of your system, it will trip the circuit breaker and bring your daily operations to a halt. Your business needs to have a built-in energy load cushion that allows you to provide for all your normal operational needs, plus a little extra to prevent an outage and to allow for further expansion. Knowing that you’ll always have enough energy to keep your business running gives you peace of mind and saves you from costly downtime.
Contact MTA Electrical Engineers
Designing and building an energy system for your business isn’t a DIY project. Contact the professionals at MTA Electrical Engineers in California to discuss your company’s energy load and how we can help you ensure your system is meeting your business needs.