Thanks for all of the info. Load calc's are an area of interest for me. I just left a building that I was continually fighting for conservative use of available power. The original building was spec'd at 80% of the 1200A switchgear. There were A/C's and normal office machines/lighting but the biggest loads were 5 3ph server cabinets feeding 60 pc's that fed 360 14" monitors. That was in '95. By '08 that became 550 individual PC's feeding 430 21" with 9 3ph multi-rack server systems in a server room with 2 new industrial HVAC units. All without even looking at the power. They just thought that if there was room in the panel they could keep plugging circuits in.
Many times I killed the operation at the main panel as wires glowed or sparks flew. And (blue in the face) repeated that it may be working but when it fails, they'll be lucky to save the building. But they never could find the money to work it out. So I'm very sensitive to loading. I'm DC guy by trade and comfortable with fixtures and adding new circuits to existing service, but I don't like going to far at the panel without checking my thinking.
As far as loads to the panel, I won't be running anything that I'm not already using on the single 15A circuit currently there. The only thing I would like to add is 2 more 4' shop florescent lights. All new wiring in the garage will be 12awg. The attic is open and the main panel and all branch circuit are accessible there. Right now there are only 2 outlets in the garage then the circuit finishes in the fourth BR making it easy to separate the two. With the small DC and the BT running the lights don't even dim. But now that the network/nas and laser printer have moved to that bedroom it needs to be seperated. I've never popped the breaker but I haven't tried printing with the DC running either.
Many times I killed the operation at the main panel as wires glowed or sparks flew. And (blue in the face) repeated that it may be working but when it fails, they'll be lucky to save the building. But they never could find the money to work it out. So I'm very sensitive to loading. I'm DC guy by trade and comfortable with fixtures and adding new circuits to existing service, but I don't like going to far at the panel without checking my thinking.
As far as loads to the panel, I won't be running anything that I'm not already using on the single 15A circuit currently there. The only thing I would like to add is 2 more 4' shop florescent lights. All new wiring in the garage will be 12awg. The attic is open and the main panel and all branch circuit are accessible there. Right now there are only 2 outlets in the garage then the circuit finishes in the fourth BR making it easy to separate the two. With the small DC and the BT running the lights don't even dim. But now that the network/nas and laser printer have moved to that bedroom it needs to be seperated. I've never popped the breaker but I haven't tried printing with the DC running either.
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