Understanding your building's electrical capacity

Capacity is the question every committee asks first and the one most often answered with a number that does not mean what it appears to mean.

Nameplate versus available capacity

A main switchboard rating describes what the equipment can carry, not what the building has spare after existing loads, diversity and the supply authority's arrangements are taken into account. Available capacity is established through measurement and record review, not from a label.

What changes the picture

• Existing common property loads such as lifts, pumps and lighting
• Metering configuration, including embedded networks where present
• Time-of-day demand profiles across the building
• Load management, which can serve more vehicles from the same supply

Load management is frequently the difference between a building being told it needs a costly supply upgrade and one that can stage charging within its existing connection.

Where this leads

A structured assessment sets out the building's realistic capacity position and the staged options it supports, so quotes can be compared against the same assumptions.

This article is general information only. It is not electrical engineering, legal or compliance advice, and it is not a substitute for a professional EV Readiness Assessment of your building.