Calculator

Generator Sizing Calculator

Estimate required generator kVA from hospital equipment load, power factor, load factor, and reserve capacity.

Calculator Inputs

Legend

Generator Sizing Calculator guidance

Required kVA = connected kW / power factor / load factor. Recommended kVA includes reserve margin.

Input meaning

  • Connected load: enter the measured, quoted, or hospital-approved value in kW.
  • Power factor: enter the measured, quoted, or hospital-approved value.
  • Load factor: enter the measured, quoted, or hospital-approved value.
  • Reserve margin: enter the measured, quoted, or hospital-approved value in %.

Result interpretation

  • Use the result as a planning estimate, not as a final approval by itself.
  • Record the assumptions used so Procurement, Biomedical, Facilities, Finance, and vendors can review the same basis.

Assumptions

  • Generator sizing must be verified by a qualified electrical engineer.
  • Motor starting current, harmonics, UPS charging, imaging loads, and code requirements are not fully modeled.

Biomedical use

  • Use this calculator during RFQ preparation, technical evaluation, acceptance planning, service review, or biomedical workload planning.

How to identify the required values

Use these examples and common working ranges to choose values from gauges, labels, manuals, datasheets, RFQs, service reports, CMMS records, or hospital planning assumptions.

FieldExample valueCommon rangeTip
Connected loadExample: 100 kW.Small department loads may be 20-100 kW; imaging or critical areas may be higher.Include only loads intended to run on the generator.
Power factorExample: 0.85.Use 0.8-0.95 if not measured; final design should use measured or engineered values.Use measured or engineered power factor for final design.
Load factorExample: 0.8.Common preliminary planning range is 0.7-0.9 depending on expected simultaneous load.Use the expected simultaneous load factor, not the connected-load total.
Reserve marginExample: 25 %.Common preliminary generator reserve is 20-30%; higher values may be used for expansion.Use expansion and starting-load margin agreed with electrical engineering.

Common ranges are starting points for hospital planning. For final procurement, acceptance testing, electrical design, medical gas design, radiation shielding, dialysis water systems, or clinical use, replace the example values with site-specific data and vendor-confirmed figures.

Input Checklist

Confirm these values before relying on the output for procurement, PM, or service planning.

  • Connected load
  • Power factor
  • Load factor
  • Reserve margin

Safety And Engineering Notes

Use calculator outputs as planning estimates and verify critical systems with calibrated measurement or qualified engineering review.

  • Generator sizing must be verified by a qualified electrical engineer.
  • Motor starting current, harmonics, UPS charging, imaging loads, and code requirements are not fully modeled.

Related Calculators

Continue with calculators in the same biomedical planning area so estimates for power, gas, water, imaging, staffing, procurement, or lifecycle cost stay connected.