Control Panel Heat Load Calculator
Sum control panel component power losses and separately entered external heat to estimate enclosure sensible heat load.
Enter component losses and external heat
Enter power dissipated as heat by each component, not its downstream electrical load.
Total panel heat load
About this calculator
Enter the power loss of components installed inside a control panel and separately estimate external heat gain. Results are shown in watts and BTU per hour.
Method and assumptions
Total internal heat load = sum of component losses + external heat gain. BTU/h = total watts × 3.41214.
All entered heat is treated as sensible load delivered to the modeled enclosure. The tool does not estimate enclosure surface heat transfer or cooling performance.
FAQs
Should I enter a device’s rated electrical load?
Enter the power dissipated as heat inside the enclosure, based on the manufacturer loss data at the expected operating point. Rated downstream load is not the same as device loss.
What counts as external heat gain?
Enter separately estimated heat entering the enclosure, such as solar loading or heat from nearby equipment, using a documented design basis.
Sources
Use component manufacturer power-loss specifications and project-specific solar and external heat-load calculations.