Electrical Load List
Template (Excel)

An electrical load list (also called a load schedule, connected load list, or feeder load list) is the document that aggregates every electrical demand on a project, by feeder and by bus, to size the upstream switchgear, transformers, generators, and incoming supply. It records, per load: tag, service, load type (motor, heater, lighting, welding, UPS, battery charger), connected power in kW, power factor, voltage, operating status (continuous, intermittent, standby, spare), load factor, demand factor, operating load, feeder and bus reference, cable size, starter type, and backup source classification (normal, essential, emergency, UPS).

Required columns: load tag and driven equipment tag, service description, P&ID and SLD reference, load type, connected load in kW, power factor, apparent power in kVA, voltage and number of phases, operating status, load factor (operating divided by rated), demand factor (diversified demand divided by connected), operating load, feeder reference, switchgear or MCC bus reference, cable size per IEC 60364 derating, starter type, protection class, backup source classification (normal supply, essential bus, emergency diesel generator bus, UPS). Indian PSU scope additionally references IS 3043 for earthing and IS 7689 for emergency supplies.

Pathnovo, an engineering document intelligence platform, aggregates the electrical load list by extracting motor loads from the motor list, non-motor loads (heaters, lighting circuits, welding sockets, UPS, battery chargers) from the equipment list and electrical layout, and feeder assignments from the single line diagram. The platform applies the project basis of design for load factor and demand factor per load category, computes operating load per feeder and per bus, and flags overloaded feeders. Output is configurable to your EPC load list format. See the P&ID extraction workflow.

Connected load is the sum of nameplate kW of every load wired to the feeder, regardless of operating status. Operating load is the connected load multiplied by the load factor (operating kW divided by rated kW, typically 0.7 to 0.9 for refinery pumps continuously running). Demand is the operating load multiplied by the demand factor (the fraction expected to run simultaneously, typically 0.7 to 0.8 for a pumping station with running and standby pumps). Demand sizes the feeder cable, demand plus 25% margin sizes the transformer or generator, peak coincident demand sizes the incoming supply. IEEE 141 (Red Book) provides typical demand factors.

The motor list captures motor nameplate and frame data. The single line diagram captures the supply architecture (transformers, switchgear, MCC, feeders). The load list aggregates motor and non-motor demand into feeder and bus totals to size the supply architecture. The three documents are populated iteratively: motor list first from P&IDs, SLD first cut from motor list, load list aggregated from both, then SLD updated with confirmed feeder loads. See the motor list template.

Loads are classified by required backup source per the project basis of design and IEEE 141 / IEEE 446 (Orange Book). Normal loads are fed from the utility supply only. Essential loads (lube oil pumps, emergency lighting, instrument air compressors) are fed from a dedicated essential bus backed by an emergency diesel generator with auto-changeover, typically within 10 seconds. UPS loads (DCS, SIS, fire and gas system, ESD valves) are fed from a UPS with battery autonomy typically 30 to 60 minutes per project specification. The load list Backup Source column drives the feeder routing and the SLD supply architecture.

Add a Scope column flagging each load row as 'existing', 'modified', 'new-installed', or 'demolish'. Existing loads contribute to the baseline bus demand. Modified loads update connected load and operating status. New-installed loads add fresh demand and trigger feeder, transformer, and incoming supply re-verification. Demolished loads free up bus capacity. For revamps where total bus demand approaches or exceeds existing switchgear short-circuit rating, the load list output flags the need for switchgear or transformer upgrade. Particularly important on Indian PSU and GCC refinery debottlenecking projects.