8 Important Definitions To Quantify Load Diversity

Load Details
The most vital, but often the last to be acquired, pieces of information for power system design
are the load details.
An important concept in load planning is that due to non-coincident timing, some equipment
operating at less than rated load, and some equipment operating intermittently rather than
continuously, the total demand upon the power source is always less than the total connected
load. This concept is known as load diversity.
The following eight standard, but important definitions are tools to quantify it:
1. Demand
The electric load at the receiving terminals averaged over a specified demand interval of time,
usually 15 min., 30 min., or 1 hour based upon the particular utilitys demand interval.
Demand may be expressed in: amperes (A), kiloamperes (kA), kilowatts (kW), kilovars (kVAR),
or kilovoltamperes (kVA).

2. Demand Interval
The period over which the load is averaged; usually 15 min, 30 min, or 1 hour

3. Peak Load
The maximum load consumed or produced by a group of units in a stated period of time. It
may be the maximum instantaneous load or the maximum average load over a designated
period of time.

4. Maximum Demand
The greatest of all demands that have occurred during a specified period of time such as one-
quarter, one-half, or one hour. For utility billing purposes the period of time is generally one
month.

5. Coincident Demand
Any demand that occurs simultaneously with any other demand.

6. Demand Factor
The ratio of the maximum coincident demand of a system, or part of a system, to the total
connected load of the system, or part of the system, under consideration.

7. Diversity Factor
The ratio of the sum of the individual maximum demands of the various subdivisions of a
system to the maximum demand of the whole system.
Where:
Di = Maximum demand of load i, regardless of time of occurrence.
DG = Coincident maximum demand of the group of n loads.
The relationship between the diversity factor and the demand factor is:

Where:
TCLi = Total connected load of load group i
DFi = the demand factor of load group i

8. Load Factor
The ratio of the average load over a designated period of time to the peak load occurring in
that period, i.e.:

If T is the designated period of time, an alternate formula for the load factor may be obtained
by manipulating previous formula as follows:

These quantities must be used with each type of load to develop a realistic picture of the actual
load requirements if the economical sizing of equipment is to be achieved. Further, they are
important to the utility rate structure (and thus the utility bill).
The following must be taken into account in this process:
Load Development/Build-Up Schedule Peak load requirements, temporary/construction
power requirements, and timing
Load Profile Load magnitude and power factor variations expected during low-load,
average load, and peak load conditions
Expected Daily and Annual Load Factor
Large motor starting requirements
Special or unusual loads such as resistance welding, arc welding, induction melting,
induction heating, etc.
Harmonic-generating loads such as variable-frequency drives, arc discharge lighting, etc.
Forecasted load growth over time

Individual engineering experience on previous projects is both useful in determining

demand factors for different types of loads. In addition, the National Electrical Code gives
minimum requirements for the computation of branch circuit, feeder, and service loads.
Reference: Load Planning Bill Brown, P.E., Square D Engineering Services
Demand Factor-Diversity Factor-Utilization Factor-Load Factor
Originally published at Electrical Notes Articles

(1) Demand factor

Demand Factor = Maximum demand of a system / Total connected load on the system
Demand factor is always less than one.
Example: if a residence having 6000W total connected load has an equipment with a
maximum demand of 3300W, Then demand factor = 3300W / 6000W = 55%.
The lower the demand factor, the less system capacity is required to serve the
connected load.
Feeder-circuit conductors should have an ampere sufficient to carry the load; the ampere
of the feeder-circuit need not always be equal to the total of all loads on all branch-
circuits connected to it. Remember that the demand factor permits a feeder-circuit
ampere to be less than 100% of the sum of all branch-circuit loads connected to the
feeder.
Example: Machine Shop
Fluorescent fixtures=1 No, 5kw each, Receptacle outlets =1 No, 1500w each,
Lathe=1No, 10 Hp, Air Compressor=1 No, 20 Hp, Fire Pump=1 No, 15 Hp.
After questioning the customer about the various loads, the information is further
deciphered as follows:
1. The shop lights are on only during the hours of 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
2. The receptacle outlets are in the office only, and will have computers and other
small loads plugged into them.
3. The lathe is fully loaded for 5 minutes periods. The rest of the time is setup
time. This procedure repeats every 15 minutes.
4. The air compressor supplies air to air tools and cycles off and on about half the
time.
5. The fire pump only runs for 30 minutes when tested which is once a month after
hours.
Calculation:
Lighting Demand Factor = Demand Interval Factor x Diversity Factor.
= (15 minute run time/ 15 minutes) x 1.0 = 1.0
Lighting Demand Load = 5 kW x 1.0 = 5 kW
Receptacle Outlet Demand Factor = Demand Interval Factor x Diversity Factor
= (15 minute run time / 15 minutes) x 0.1 = 0.1
Receptacle Outlet Demand Load = 15 x 1500 watts x 0.1 = 2.25 kW
Lathe Demand Factor = Demand Interval Factor x Diversity Factor.
= (5 minute run time / 15 minutes) x 1.0 =0 .33
Lathe Demand Load = 10 hp x .746 x .33 = 2.46 kW
Air Compressor Demand Factor = Demand Interval Factor x Diversity Factor.
= (7.5 minute run time / 15 minutes) x 1.0 = 0.5
Air Compressor Demand Load = 20 hp x .746 x .5 = 7.46 kW
Fire Pump Demand Factor = Demand Interval Factor x Diversity Factor.
= (15 minute run time/ 15 minutes) x 0.0 = 0.0
Fire Pump Demand Load = 15 hp x .746 x 0.0 = 0.0 kW
Summary of Demand Loads
Equipment kW D.F. Demand KW
Lighting 5 x 1 = 5
Receptacle
22.5 x .1 = 2.25
Outlets
Lathe 7.5 x .33 = 2.46
Air Compressor 15 x 0.5 = 7.46
Fire Pump 11.25 x 0.0 = 0.0
TOTAL 61.25 Kw 17.17 Kw

(2) Diversity factor / simultaneity factor (Ks)

Diversity Factor = Sum of Individual Max Demand / Max Demand on Power Station.
Diversity Factor = Installed load / Running load
Diversity factor is usually more than one. (Since the sum of individual max. demands
>Max. Demand)
The load is time dependent as well as being dependent upon equipment characteristics.
The diversity factor recognizes that the whole load does not equal the sum of its parts due
to this time Interdependence (i.e. diverseness).
When the maximum demand of a supply is being assessed it is not sufficient to simply add
together the ratings of all electrical equipment that could be connected to that supply. If
this is done, a figure somewhat higher than the true maximum demand will be produced.
This is because it is unlikely that all the electrical equipment on a supply will be used
simultaneously.
The concept of being able to De-rate a potential maximum load to an actual maximum
demand is known as the application of a diversity factor.
70% diversity means that the device in question operates at its nominal or maximum load
level 70% of the time that it is connected and turned on.
If total installed full load ampere is twice your running load ampere then the diversity
factor is two.
If total installed full load ampere is four times your load a ampere then the diversity
factor is four.
If everything (all electrical equipment) was running at full load at the same time the
diversity factor is equal to One
Greater the diversity factor, lesser is the cost of generation of power.
Diversity factor in a distribution network is the ratio of the sum of the peak demands of
the individual customers to the peak demand of the network.
This will be determined by the type of service, i.e., residential, commercial, industrial and
combinations of such.
Example-I: A distribution feeder serves 5 houses, each of which has a peak demand of 5
KW. The feeder peak turns out to be 20 kw. The diversity is then 20/25 or 0.8. This
results from the timing differences between the individual heating/cooling, appliance
usages in the individual customers.
As supply availability decreases, the diversity factor will tend to increase toward 1.00.
This can be demonstrated when restoring service after outages (called cold starts) as the
system initial surge can be much greater than the historical peak loads.
Example-II: A sub-station has three outgoing feeders:
1. feeder 1 has maximum demand 10 MW at 10:00 am,
2. feeder 2 has maximum demand 12 MW at 7:00 pm and
3. feeder 3 has maximum demand 15 MW at 9:00 pm,
4. While the maximum demand of all three feeders is 33 MW at 8:00 pm.
Here, the sum of the maximum demand of the individual sub-systems (feeders) is 10 + 12
+ 15 = 37 MW, while the system maximum demand is 33 MW. The diversity factor is
37/33 = 1.12. The diversity factor is usually greater than 1; its value also can be 1 which
indicates the maximum demand of the individual sub-system occurs simultaneously.
Diversity is the relationship between the rated full loads of the equipment downstream of
a connection point, and the rated load of the connection point. To illustrate:
1. The building at these co-ordinates is fitted with a 100A main supply fuse.
2. The distribution board has 2no. 6A breakers, 1no. 20A breaker and 5no. 32A breakers, a
total, potentially, of 192A.
Not all these rated loads are turned on at once. If they were, then the 100A supply fuse
would rupture, as it cannot pass 192A. So the diversity factor of the distribution board
can be said to be 192A/100A, or 1.92, or 52%.
Many designers prefer to use unity as the diversity factor in calculations for planning
conservatism because of plant load growth uncertainties. Local experience can justify using
a diversity factor larger than unity, and smaller service entrance conductors and
transformer requirements chosen accordingly.
The diversity factor for all other installations will be different, and would be based upon
a local evaluation of the loads to be applied at different moments in time. Assuming it to
be 1.0 may, on some occasions, result in a supply feeder and equipment rating that is
rather larger than the local installation warrants, and an over-investment in cable and
equipment to handle the rated load current. It is better to evaluate the pattern of usage
of the loads and calculate an acceptable diversity factor for each particular case.
In the case of the example given above, achieving a diversity of 1.0 or 100% would
require well over twice the cross-sectional area of copper cable to be installed in a deep
trench underneath a field, the rebuild of a feeder cabinet to larger dimensions, more
substantial overhead supply cables for a distance exceeding 2km northwards and a
different tariff, where one pays rather more for a kWh than at present. The investment
required to achieve 1.0 simply isnt justifiable in this particular case.
Diversity factor is mostly used for distribution feeder size and transformer as well as to
determine the maximum peak load and diversity factor is always based on knowing the
process. You have to understand what will be on or off at a given time for different
buildings and this will size the feeder. Note for typical buildings diversity factor is always
one. You have to estimate or have a data records to create 24 hours load graph and you
can determine the maximum demand load for node then you can easily determine the
feeder and transformer size.
The diversity factor of a feeder would be the sum of the maximum demands of the
individual consumers divided by the maximum demand of the feeder. In the same manner,
it is possible to compute the diversity factor on a substation, a transmission line or a whole
utility system.
The residential load has the highest diversity factor. Industrial loads have low diversity
factors usually of 1.4, street light practically unity and other loads vary between these
limits.
Diversity Factor in distribution Network
Diversity Factors
Elements of System General Large
Residential Commercial
Power Industrial
Between individual users 2.00 1.46 1.45
Between transformers 1.30 1.30 1.35 1.05
Between feeders 1.15 1.15 1.15 1.05
Between substations 1.10 1.10 1.10 1.10
From users to transformers 2.00 1.46 1.44
From users to feeder 2.60 1.90 1.95 1.15
From users to substation 3.00 2.18 2.24 1.32
From users to generating station 3.29 2.40 2.46 1.45
Diversity Factor for distribution switchboards
Number of circuits Diversity Factor
(ks)
Assemblies entirely tested 2 and 3 0.9
4 and 5 0.8
6 to 9 0.7
10 and more 0.6
Assemblies partially tested in every case choose 1
Diversity Factor for according to circuit function (IEC 60439)
Circuits Function Diversity Factor
(ks)
Lighting 0.9
Heating and air conditioning 0.8
Socket-outlets 0.7
Lifts and catering hoist
For the most powerful motor 1
For the second most powerful motor 0.75
For all motors 0.8
Diversity Factor for an apartment block
Apartment Diversity Factor
(ks)
2 To 4 1
5To 19 0.78
10To 14 0.63
15To 19 0.53
20To 24 0.49
25To 29 0.46
30 To 34 0.44
35 To 39 0.42
40To 40 0.41
50 To Above 0.40
Example: 5 storey apartment building with 25 consumers, each having 6 kVA of installed
load.
 The total installed load for the building is: 36 + 24 + 30 + 36 + 24 = 150 kVA
The apparent-power supply required for the building is: 150 x 0.46 = 69 kVA
It is a matter of common experience that the simultaneous operation of all installed loads
of a given installation never occurs in practice, i.e. there is always some degree of
diversity and this fact is taken into account for estimating purposes by the use of a
simultaneity factor / Diversity Factor (ks).
The Diversity factor ks is applied to each group of loads (e.g. being supplied from a
distribution or sub-distribution board). The determination of these factors is the
responsibility of the designer, since it requires a detailed knowledge of the installation
and the conditions in which the individual circuits are to be exploited. For this reason, it is
not possible to give precise values for general application.
Designing Size of Electrical Switchgear by use of Demand Factor and Diversity Factor:
Diversity factors are used by utilities for distribution transformer sizing and load
predictions.
Demand factors are more conservative and are used by NEC for service and feeder
sizing.
Demand factors and diversity factors are used in design.
For example, the sum of the connected loads supplied by a feeder is multiplied by the
demand factor to determine the load for which the feeder must be sized. This load is
termed the maximum demand of the feeder. The sum of the maximum demand loads for a
number of sub feeders divided by the diversity factor for the sub feeders will give the
maximum demand load to be supplied by the feeder from which the sub feeders are
derived.
Example-1: Suppose We have four individual feeder-circuits with connected loads of 250
kVA, 200 kVA, 150 kVA and 400 kVA and demand factors of 90%, 80%, 75% and
85% respectively. Use a diversity factor of 1.5.
Calculating demand for feeder-circuits
o 250 kVA x 90% = 225 kVA
o 200 kVA x 80% = 160 kVA
o 150 kVA x 75% = 112.5 kVA
o 400 kVA x 85% = 340 kVA
o 837.5 kVA
o The sum of the individual demands is equal to 837.5 kVA.
o If the main feeder-circuit were sized at unity diversity: kVA = 837.5 kVA 1.00 =
837.5 kVA.
o The main feeder-circuit would have to be supplied by an 850 kVA transformer.
o However, using the diversity factor of 1.5, the kVA = 837.5 kVA 1.5 = 558
kVA for the main feeder.
o For diversity factor of 1.5, a 600 kVA transformer could be used.
Example-2: A conveyor belt made up of six sections, each driven by a 2 kW motor. As
material is transported along this belt, it is first carried by section 1, and then each section
in succession until the final section is reached. In this simple example only one section of
conveyor is carrying material at any point in time. Therefore five motors are only handling
no-load mechanical losses (say .1 kW) keeping the belts moving whilst one motor is
handling the load (say 1 kW). The demand presented by each motor when it is carrying
its load is 1 kW, the sum of the demand loads is 6 kW but the maximum load presented
by the system at any time is only 1.5 kW.
o Diversity factor =Sum of Individual Max. Demand / Max. Demand = 6 Kw / 1.5
Kw =4.
 o Demand Factor = Maximum demand / Total connected load = 1.5 Kw / 12 Kw =
0.125.
(3) Load factor
Load Factor = Average load. /Maximum load during a given period.
It can be calculated for a single day, for a month or for a year.
Its value is always less than one. Because maximum demand is always more than avg.
demand.
It is used for determining the overall cost per unit generated. Higher the load factor, lesser will
be the cost per unit.
Load Factor = Load that a piece of equipment actually draws / Load it could draw (full
load).
Example: Motor of 20 hp drives a constant 15 hp load whenever it is on.
The motor load factor is then 15/20 = 75%.
Load factor is term that does not appear on your utility bill, but does affect electricity
costs. Load factor indicates how efficiently the customer is using peak demand.
Load Factor = ( energy (kWh per month) ) / ( peak demand (kW) x hours/month )
A high load factor means power usage is relatively constant. Low load factor shows that
occasionally a high demand is set. To service that peak, capacity is sitting idle for long
periods, thereby imposing higher costs on the system. Electrical rates are designed so that
customers with high load factor are charged less overall per kWh.
For Example
Customer A High Load Factor
82% load factor = (3000 kWh per month x 100%) / 5 kW x 730 hours/month.
Customer B Low Load Factor
41% load factor = (3000 kWh per month x 100%) / 10kW x 730 hours/month.
To encourage the efficient use of installed capacity, electricity rates are structured so the
price per kWh above a certain load factor is lower. The actual structure of the price
blocks varies by rate.
(4) Utilization factor (Ku)
In normal operating conditions the power consumption of a load is sometimes less than that
indicated as its nominal power rating, a fairly common occurrence that justifies the
application of an utilization factor (ku) in the estimation of realistic values.
Utilization Factor = The time that a equipment is in use./ The total time that it could be
in use.
Example: The motor may only be used for eight hours a day, 50 weeks a year. The hours
of operation would then be 2000 hours, and the motor Utilization factor for a base of
8760 hours per year would be 2000/8760 = 22.83%. With a base of 2000 hours per
year, the motor Utilization factor would be 100%. The bottom line is that the use factor is
applied to get the correct number of hours that the motor is in use.
This factor must be applied to each individual load, with particular attention to electric
motors, which are very rarely operated at full load. In an industrial installation this factor
may be estimated on an average at 0.75 for motors.
For incandescent-lighting loads, the factor always equals 1.
For socket-outlet circuits, the factors depend entirely on the type of appliances being
supplied from the sockets concerned.

Maximum demand
 Maximum demand (often referred to as MD) is the largest current normally carried by
circuits, switches and protective devices. It does not include the levels of current flowing
under overload or short circuit conditions.
Assessment of maximum demand is sometimes straightforward. For example, the
maximum demand of a 240 V single-phase 8 kW shower heater can be calculated by
dividing the power (8 kW) by the voltage (240 V) to give a current of 33.3 A. This
calculation assumes a power factor of unity, which is a reasonable assumption for such a
purely resistive load.
There are times, however, when assessment of maximum demand is less obvious. For
example, if a ring circuit feeds fifteen 13 A sockets, the maximum demand clearly should
not be 15 x 13 = 195 A, if only because the circuit protection will not be rated at more
than 32 A. Some 13 A sockets may feed table lamps with 60 W lamps fitted, whilst others
may feed 3 kW washing machines; others again may not be loaded at all.
Lighting circuits pose a special problem when determining MD. Each lamp-holder must be
assumed to carry the current required by the connected load, subject to a minimum
loading of 100 W per lamp holder (a demand of 0.42 A per lamp holder at 240 V).
Discharge lamps are particularly difficult to assess, and current cannot be calculated
simply by dividing lamp power by supply voltage. The reasons for this are:
1. Control gear losses result in additional current,
2. the power factor is usually less than unity so current is greater, and
3. Chokes and other control gear usually distort the waveform of the current so that it
contains harmonics which are additional to the fundamental supply current.
So long as the power factor of a discharge lighting circuit is not less than 0.85, the current
demand for the circuit can be calculated from:
current (A) = (lamp power (W) x 1.8) / supply voltage (V)
For example, the steady state current demand of a 240 V circuit supplying ten 65 W
fluorescent lamps would be: I = 10X65X1.8A / 240 = 4.88A
Switches for circuits feeding discharge lamps must be rated at twice the current they are
required to carry, unless they have been specially constructed to withstand the severe
arcing resulting from the switching of such inductive and capacitive loads.
(5) Coincidence factor
The coincidence factor =Max. demand of a system / sum of the individual maximum
demands
The coincidence factor is the reciprocal of the diversity factor

Demand Factor & Load Factor according to Type of Industries

Demand Load Utilization
Type of Industry Factor Factor Factor (DF x LF)
Arc Furnace 0.55 0.80 0.44
Induction Furnace 0.90 0.80 0.72
Steel Rolling mills 0.80 0.25 0.20
Mechanical/ Electrical
a) Single Shift 0.45 0.25 0.11
b) Double Shift 0.45 0.50 0.22
Cycle Industry 0.40 0.40 0.16
Wire products 0.35 0.40 0.14
Auto Parts 0.40 0.50 0.20
Forgings 0.50 0.35 0.17
Cold Storage
a) Working Season 0.60 0.65 0.39
b) Non-Working Season 0.25 0.15 0.04
Rice Shellers
a) Working Season 0.70 0.80 0.56
b) Non-Working Season 0.05 0.30 0.01
Ice Candy Units
a) Working Season 0.50 0.65 0.32
b) Non-Working Season 0.50 0.10 0.05
Ice Factories
a) Working Season 0.80 0.65 0.52
b) Non-Working Season 0.80 0.10 0.08
Cotton Ginning
a) Working Season 0.70 0.25 0.17
b) Non-Working Season 0.10 0.10 0.01
Spinning Mills 0.60 0.80 0.48
Textile Industry 0.50 0.80 0.40
Dyeing and Printing 0.40 0.50 0.20
Ghee Mills 0.50 0.50 0.25
Oil Mills 0.70 0.50 0.35
Solvent Extraction Mills 0.45 0.50 0.22
Plastic 0.60 0.25 0.11
Soap 0.50 0.25 0.12
Rubber (Foot Wear) 0.45 0.35 0.16
Distilleries 0.35 0.50 0.17
Chemical Industry 0.40 0.50 0.20
Gas Plant Industry 0.70 0.50 0.35
Pain and Colour Factory 0.50 0.40 0.20
Sugar 0.30 0.45 0.13
Paper 0.50 0.80 0.40
Flour Mills(Single Shift) 0.80 0.25 0.20
Atta Chakies 0.50 0.25 0.12
Milk Plants 0.40 0.80 0.32
Printing Presses 0.35 0.30 0.10
Repair Workshops 0.40 0.25 0.10
Bottling Plants 0.40 0.35 0.14
Radio Stations 0.55 .0.45 0.25
Telephone exchange 0.50 0.90 0.45
Public Water Works 0.75 0.40 0.30
Medical Colleges 0.60 0.25 0.15
Hospitals 0.25 0.90 0.22
Nursing Homes 0.50 0.50 0.25
Colleges and Schools 0.50 0.20 0.10
Hotels and Restaurants 0.75 0.40 0.30
Marriage Palaces 1.00 0.25 0.25
Demand Factor & Load Factor according to Type of Buildings:
Demand Load
Individual Facilities
Factor Factor
Communications buildings 60-65 70-75
Telephone exchange building 55-70 20-25
Air passenger terminal
65-80 28-32
building
Aircraft fire and rescue
25-35 13-17
station
Aircraft line operations
65-80 24-28
building
Academic instruction building 40-60 22-26
Applied instruction building 35-65 24-28
Chemistry and Toxicology
70-80 22-28
Laboratory
Materials Laboratory 30-35 27-32
Physics Laboratory 70-80 22-28
Electrical and electronics
20-30 3-7
systems laboratory
Cold storage warehouse 70-75 20-25
General warehouse 75-80 23-28
Controlled humidity
60-65 33-38
warehouse
Hazardous/flammable
75-80 20-25
storehouse
Disposal, salvage, scrap
35-40 25-20
building
Hospital 38-42 45-50
Laboratory 32-37 20-25
Dental Clinic 35-40 18-23
Medical Clinic 45-50 20-23
Administrative Office 50-65 20-35
Single-family residential
60-70 10-15
housing
Detached garages 40-50 2-4
Apartments 35-40 38-42
Fire station 25-35 13-17
Police station 48-53 20-25
Bakery 30-35 45-60
Laundry/dry cleaning plant 30-35 20-25
K-6 schools 75-80 10-15
7-12 schools 65-70 12-17
Churches 65-70 5-25
Post Office 75-80 20-25
Retail store 65-70 25-32
Bank 75-80 20-25
Supermarket 55-60 25-30
Restaurant 45-75 15-25
Auto repair shop 40-60 15-20
Hobby shop, art/crafts 30-40 25-30
Bowling alley 70-75 10-15
Gymnasium 70-75 20-45
Skating rink 70-75 10-15
Indoor swimming pool 55-60 25-50
Theater 45-55 8-13
Library 75-80 30-35
Golf clubhouse 75-80 15-20
Museum 75-80 30-35