Clean commercial electrical room with organized distribution panels.

LOAD STUDIES · INFRARED THERMOGRAPHY · ELECTRICAL INSPECTIONS

Load Studies for Panel and Service Upgrade Planning in Phoenix, Arizona

Measure first, then decide. A load study shows whether you need a bigger panel, a bigger service or neither.

Request a Consultation (602) 564-1144

Do I need a bigger panel or a bigger service?

Sometimes neither. The answer comes from how much power the building actually uses at its peak, not from the size of the breaker on the main. A load study measures that peak and shows how much room is left, so you do not pay for an upgrade you do not need or put off one you do.

What are the possible outcomes?

  • Enough capacity. The existing equipment can carry the new load, and you add circuits only.
  • Panel is full but the service has room. A new or larger panel, or a subpanel, solves it. See electrical panel upgrades.
  • Service is near its limit. The service entrance has to grow. See service upgrades.
  • Load can be managed. Staggering or limiting large loads keeps the peak under the limit without new equipment.

What do we measure?

We record current and demand on the main service and on the panels that carry the heaviest loads, for long enough to catch the building at its busiest. We note what ran during the recording and compare the peak against the rating of each device. The result is a margin you can plan against.

What kinds of projects start here?

  • A tenant moving in with heavier equipment than the last one
  • Adding EV charging, a kitchen, production equipment or a server room
  • A building where breakers already trip near the busy hours
  • A purchase or lease where you need to know what the electrical system can support

What happens after the study?

You get a field report with the measured peak, the remaining margin and a plain recommendation. We assist engineers with load calculations and pass them the measured data. If the answer is a new panel or service, we can quote and install it. The overall service is on our Electrical Load Studies page.

Arizona ROC #153656 (CR-11) | Over 40 years in business

OUR PROCESS

HOW DOES A JOB WITH PHOENIX CONTRACTING SERVICES WORK?

Every job follows three steps: a site walkthrough, testing and documentation, then findings and next steps.

01

WALKTHROUGH AND SCOPE

We start with a free phone consultation, and you can send a photo of your panel or equipment. If on-site work is needed, we visit, look at the panels and service, and agree on what needs to be tested or repaired before any work starts. On-site work is quoted before it begins.

02

TESTING AND DOCUMENTATION

Load loggers and a thermal camera record what the equipment is doing, and the results are documented for each panel or component we check.

03

FINDINGS AND NEXT STEPS

We go over what we found and your options in plain language. If corrective work is needed, we are licensed to do it.

WHAT CUSTOMERS SAY ABOUT US

5.0 VERIFIED GOOGLE RATING
Jeff and his team were amazing! I needed a load calculation, one line diagram, and a panel schedule for an electrical permit with the city. Phoenix Contracting Services had an unbeatable price and moved quickly to See more
Ryan Husted Google review
Jeff’s knowledge, experience and professionalism are exemplary! We contracted him to provide engineering plans to permit our relocation and upgrade of electrical service meter. He worked with my electricians on details See more
Jacqueline Google review
We woke to a Friday morning with weird lighting fluctuations. I checked the service panel to find a burning smell and melted bus bar under AC breaker. Since bus bar was melted, I contacted SRP who provided some certified See more
Mike Silva Google review

Can a load study keep me from paying for an upgrade?
Sometimes. If the measured peak leaves room for the new load, you can add circuits instead. If it does not, you know the size of upgrade you need.
How long should the recording run?
It should cover the busy periods of the building. Thirty days is the usual minimum when the data will support a code-based calculation.
Do you recommend a panel or a service upgrade?
We recommend the smallest change that solves the problem, based on the measured data. We can then quote the work.
What if the numbers are close to the limit?
We tell you how much margin is left and what the next addition would do to it. In some cases load management is a cheaper answer than a bigger service.
Do you help with the load calculation?
Some cities and utilities want one for larger changes. We assist engineers with load calculations, using the measured data.

Tell Us What Your Electrical System Needs

Share the details of your project, and our team will help you identify the most practical next step.

Request a Consultation (602) 564-1144