Connected load for repeated lighting schedule rows
A lighting schedule load note keeps repeated groups, fittings per group and input watts together. It is useful for estimating the connected load represented by one row, but it does not size circuits, breakers, cables, maximum demand, voltage drop, electrical compliance or switchboard capacity.
Schedule load note sequence
A clear row total starts with a named repeated group, then keeps the lighting load note distinct from electrical design decisions.
- 1Name the repeated row
Note the room type, bay, aisle, zone, level or schedule reference that repeats.
- 2Count one group
Enter fittings in one repeated group before multiplying across the row.
- 3Enter fitting input watts
Match the wattage to the complete fitting counted in the row.
- 4Check the row total
Compare total fittings and connected load with the schedule before carrying the value onward.
- 5Move only the load note onward
Take connected kW to energy or density pages when the question changes.
Application search intent fit
The page owns schedule-row arithmetic. It stops before circuit design, switchboard capacity and maximum-demand decisions.
| Search phrasing | Calculator note | Carry forward |
|---|---|---|
| Lighting schedule load calculator | Group count, fittings per group and watts per fitting for one repeated row. | Total fittings, connected watts and connected kW. |
| Lighting fitting load schedule | A row where the same fitting type repeats across rooms, bays, aisles or zones. | Room, zone or drawing reference beside the load row. |
| How many watts in this lighting row | Fitting count multiplied by input watts, then repeated by group count. | Energy, controls and electrical design kept in separate notes. |
| Connected lighting load | Installed load for the counted row at full connected input. | Operating-hours or dimming notes only when the question changes. |
Schedule row quality
A row total is clearest when all counted fittings share the same wattage basis and grouping logic.
| Note item | Strong entry | Weak entry |
|---|---|---|
| Group count | Three identical rooms, rows, bays or control groups described by the same row. | A whole building total where unrelated areas are blended together. |
| Fittings per group | The count inside one repeated group before multiplication. | A total count already multiplied, then multiplied again. |
| Watts per fitting | Driver-inclusive input watts for the complete included fitting. | Lamp-only watts where the complete fitting input differs. |
| Row title | Room, zone, level, drawing tag or schedule reference written beside the row. | An unlabelled load number separated from the counted fittings. |
Reading the output
Read total fittings, per-group load and connected kW as one row note, not as an electrical capacity decision.
| Output | Technical meaning | Review item |
|---|---|---|
| Schedule connected load | Group count multiplied by fittings per group and watts per fitting. | Check that the group count and fitting count have not been double-counted. |
| Total fittings | The total quantity represented by the repeated row. | Compare with the schedule, reflected ceiling plan or zone list. |
| Connected kW | The connected watts divided by 1,000. | Carry into energy or load-density pages when those notes are needed. |
| Load per group | Fittings per group multiplied by watts per fitting before repetition. | Keep visible when a repeated group is later changed or split. |
What remains outside
The row total supports a schedule note. Other pages and project notes own the wider decisions.
| Open item | Why it remains separate | Better owner |
|---|---|---|
| Circuit, breaker and cable sizing | Electrical design needs installation conditions, protection details and local rules. | Electrical design documentation. |
| Maximum demand | Demand assessment depends on the wider installation and applicable assumptions. | Project electrical schedule. |
| Voltage drop | Voltage drop depends on cable length, conductor size, run path and current. | Electrical calculation note. |
| Switchboard capacity | Capacity needs the whole installation, not one lighting schedule row. | Switchboard and load assessment. |
Where a schedule load row fits
Lighting schedules often contain repeated rows. A row may stand for three store rooms with the same battens, four identical apartment corridors, a run of warehouse aisles, or a set of retail display bays. The schedule load note turns that repeated line into total fittings and connected watts without changing the meaning of the row.
That narrow job is valuable because schedules are easy to misread. If a row states twelve fittings in each of three rooms, the row represents thirty-six fittings. If the twelve already describes the whole row, entering three groups would double-count the load. Keeping group count and fittings per group separate makes the note easier to check.
Keep repetition visible
The group count should describe repetition, not importance. A repeated group might be a classroom, store room, tenancy bay, office pod, car-park row or service corridor. The fitting count should describe one of those groups. The final total fittings value then shows how much quantity the schedule row represents.
This is especially useful when similar lighting appears across a project. If one group changes from twelve fittings to ten, the load per group changes before the repeated row total changes. That makes revisions easier to read because the row can be checked at both levels.
Watts need a complete fitting basis
Watts per fitting should match the complete item counted in the schedule row. For many LED fittings, the input power is tied to the driver and luminaire package rather than a replaceable lamp. A lamp-only value can understate or misstate the connected load when the complete fitting draws a different amount.
Where a schedule includes more than one fitting type, split the rows. A downlight row, a linear row and an emergency-maintained row should not be blended into one average wattage. Separate rows keep the arithmetic simple and keep later energy or density notes traceable.
Connected load is not operating energy
Connected load describes the full input load represented by the schedule row. It does not include hours of operation, sensor behaviour, daylight response, dimming level or after-hours modes. Those assumptions can change annual kWh while the connected row load remains the same.
When annual energy is the real question, carry connected kW into an annual lighting kWh note with hours per day and days per year. When a dimmed scene is the real question, keep the scene level in a dimming range note rather than hiding it inside the schedule row.
Do not turn the row into electrical design
This note totals a lighting schedule row only. It does not size circuits, breakers or cables. It does not calculate maximum demand, voltage drop, electrical compliance or switchboard capacity. Those decisions depend on the wider installation, protection arrangement, wiring run, local requirements and project notes.
That separation protects the schedule note from carrying promises it cannot support. The row can still be useful for estimators, designers, facility managers and students because it names the connected lighting load clearly before any electrical design note is prepared elsewhere.
How the result travels
The schedule connected load can travel to load-density, annual energy or comparison notes. For load density, the same row needs an assessed area. For annual energy, it needs operating hours. For a replacement comparison, the existing and proposed rows need matching group boundaries.
The best handoff is a compact line: row name, group count, fittings per group, watts per fitting, load per group, total fittings and connected kW. With that line in place, later pages can add area, hours, dimming or replacement details without guessing how the row total was formed.