Commercial Kitchen Load Calculator

A commercial kitchen load calculation starts with the included equipment nameplate load and produces a Selected preliminary demand in kVA. That value supports an early feeder, service, distribution equipment, and load-review workflow before conductor ampacity, overcurrent protection, raceway fill, voltage drop, and final equipment connection details are evaluated.

The calculator applies an entered demand factor to the connected kitchen load, then compares that result with the combined load of the two largest included equipment loads. The selected result is the higher of those two values.

Keep HVAC, ventilation, and space-heating loads separate unless the adopted calculation method explicitly includes them in the kitchen equipment group.

Kitchen Equipment Demand Load

The calculator uses five electrical inputs:

Input	Purpose
Kitchen equipment count (items)	Records the number of equipment items included in the kitchen load group.
Connected kitchen load (kVA)	Total included equipment nameplate load, entered on a consistent kVA basis.
Largest equipment load (kVA)	Largest individual included kitchen equipment load.
Second-largest equipment load (kVA)	Second-largest included equipment load. Enter 0 when a second applicable load is not available.
Entered demand factor (x)	Demand factor from the adopted edition, AHJ method, or project record.
Separate HVAC/ventilation/space-heat load (kVA)	Optional separate load used only to trigger a scope-review flag. It is not added to the displayed kitchen demand result.

The connected kitchen load should represent only the equipment intentionally included in this load group. A mixed total that includes kitchen equipment plus make-up air, exhaust, comfort cooling, or space heating can produce a result that does not match the adopted project method.

Demand Formula and Floor Check

The calculator produces two intermediate results:

\(\displaystyle Factor-based demand load = \text{Connected kitchen load} \times \text{Entered demand factor}\)

\(\displaystyle Two-largest floor = \text{Largest equipment load} + \text{Second-largest equipment load}\)

It then selects the higher result:

\(\displaystyle \text{Selected preliminary demand} = \max(\text{Factor-based demand load},\ \text{Two-largest floor})\)

The floor check explains which side controls the selected demand. When the factor-based demand is at or above the two-largest floor, the factor-based result controls; otherwise, the two-largest floor controls the selected preliminary demand.

Calculation Example

For a kitchen load group with the following entered values:

Field	Entered value
Kitchen equipment count (items)	8
Connected kitchen load (kVA)	80
Largest equipment load (kVA)	20
Second-largest equipment load (kVA)	15
Entered demand factor (x)	0.65
Separate HVAC/ventilation/space-heat load (kVA)	0

The factor-based demand load is:

\(\displaystyle 80\ \text{kVA} \times 0.65 = \text{52 kVA}\)

The two-largest floor is:

\(\displaystyle 20\ \text{kVA} + 15\ \text{kVA} = \text{35 kVA}\)

Because 52 kVA exceeds 35 kVA, the calculator reports:

Result	Value
Factor-based demand load	52 kVA
Two-largest floor	35 kVA
Selected preliminary demand	52 kVA
Floor check status	Factor-based demand controls

The preliminary kitchen demand for this group is therefore 52 kVA.

Feeder and Distribution Use

The selected kVA is a load value, not a final conductor size. It can be carried into a feeder or service load schedule, then converted using the actual system voltage, phase arrangement, and equipment characteristics. That subsequent calculation determines the load current used for conductor and overcurrent-protection review.

For a commercial kitchen distribution workflow, the result commonly supports review of:

• Feeder and panel loading
• Branch-circuit and equipment connection planning
• Conductor AWG or kcmil selection after load current is established
• Ampacity evaluation using applicable terminal rating, insulation temperature rating, correction factor, and adjustment factor conditions
• Raceway sizing and raceway fill after the actual conductor set is selected
• Voltage-drop review for long kitchen feeders or heavily loaded distribution runs
• Separation of kitchen equipment load from HVAC, ventilation, and space-heating calculations

The kVA result alone does not establish ampacity. Actual conductor sizing also depends on the voltage system, single-phase or three-phase configuration, load characteristics, terminal limitations, current-carrying conductors, installation conditions, and the applicable project requirements.

Field Verification

Verify that each included nameplate load belongs in the kitchen equipment group and that all values use a consistent kVA basis. Confirm the largest and second-largest equipment loads from the same included group rather than from a broader building load schedule.

The Entered demand factor (x) must come from the adopted calculation method, AHJ direction, or documented project basis. The calculator applies the entered factor arithmetically; it does not determine whether a particular demand factor, equipment grouping, HVAC treatment, or load classification is permitted for a specific installation.

When Separate HVAC/ventilation/space-heat load (kVA) is greater than zero, review the project scope before combining that load with the kitchen demand result. Exhaust systems, make-up air units, refrigeration equipment, comfort HVAC, and space heating may require separate treatment in the final load calculation.

Related workflows: Commercial Load Calculator and Receptacle Load Calculator.