VOLTAGE DROP CALCULATOR

Wire Size
#14
#12
#10
#8
#6
#4
#3
#2
#1
1/0
2/0
3/0
4/0
250
300
350
400
500
600
750
1000

Voltage Drop Calculator Instructions:

indicate
wire size
with X
Select
only one.
Copper
only

# conductors
Length of run
load current
power factor
1 or 3 phase
line side voltage
largest motor

per phase
feet
amps

phase

Enter data in yellow shaded cells. Green cells are optional to

calculate the resulting voltage at load end of feeder and to
calculate effect of largest induction motor starting with feeder
at listed load current
1 phase calc is simple I x DC Resistence.
3 phase calc assumes 60Hz copper conductors in Aluminum
conduit at 75 deg C. Voltage drop for steel or cables not in
conduit are similar but may be off by 10%.

volts
LR amps

FL amps

HP

enter any one of Locked Rotor Amps, Full Load Amps, or HP to calculate voltage drop during motor start

MCM

AC impedance
DC resistence

ohms / 1000 feet

ohms / 1000 feet

MCM

VOLTAGE DROP

normal load
volts

NET VOLTAGE

volts

MCM
MCM

during motor start

volts

MCM
MCM

volts

MCM
MCM

s:\Power Sys\~Power Calculators\255347807.xls.ms_office

rev 8/21/2009

Wire Size
4 mm2
6 mm2
10 mm2
16 mm2
25 mm2
35 mm2
50 mm2
70 mm2
95 mm2
120 mm2
150 mm2
185 mm2
240 mm2
300 mm2
400 mm2
500 mm2
630 mm

800 mm

1000 mm2

Voltage Drop Calculator Instructions:

indicate
wire size
with X
Select
only one.
Copper
only

# conductors
Length of run
load current
power factor
1 or 3 phase
line side voltage
largest motor

per phase
meters
amps

phase

Enter data in yellow shaded cells. Green cells a

calculate the resulting voltage at load end of feed
calculate effect of largest induction motor starting
at listed load current
1 phase calc is simple I x DC Resistence.
3 phase calc assumes 60Hz copper
conduit at 75 deg C. Voltage drop for steel or ca
conduit are similar but may be off by 10%.

volts

LR amps

FL amps

40

enter any one of Locked Rotor Amps, Full Load Amps, or HP to calculate voltage drop during motor start

AC impedance
DC resistence

ohms / 1000 meters

ohms / 1000 meters

normal load

during motor start

VOLTAGE DROP

volts

volts

NET VOLTAGE

volts

volts

The NEC recommends that the maximum combined voltage drop for both the feeder and branch circuit shouldn't exceed 5%
on the feeder or branch circuit shouldn't exceed 3%. The voltage drop of a circuit is in direct proportion to the resistance
magnitude of the current. Thus long runs and or high currents often produce voltage drops that exceed NEC recommendatio

alculator Instructions:

w shaded cells. Green cells are optional to

ing voltage at load end of feeder and to
argest induction motor starting with feeder

mple I x DC Resistence.
copper conductors in Aluminum
C. Voltage drop for steel or cables not in
but may be off by 10%.

KW

voltage drop during motor start

selected

Wire
Size

Z @ .85pf XL reactance
ohms/1km
ohms/1km selected

4 mm2
6 mm2
10 mm2
16 mm2
25 mm2
35 mm2
50 mm2
70 mm2
95 mm2
120 mm2
150 mm2
185 mm2
240 mm2
300 mm2
400 mm2
500 mm2

5.047
3.387
2.024
1.292
0.831
0.608
0.460
0.330
0.248
0.206
0.174
0.147
0.122
0.106
0.093
0.085

0.093
0.089
0.084
0.082
0.082
0.077
0.077
0.075
0.073
0.072
0.073
0.073
0.072
0.072
0.072
0.078

5.880
3.930
2.330
1.470
0.927
0.668
0.494
0.342
0.247
0.197
0.160
0.128
0.099
0.080
0.066
0.052

630 mm2

0.077

0.077

0.043

0.071

0.076

0.036

0.067

0.075

0.032

800 mm

1000 mm2
rev 8/21/2009

circuit shouldn't exceed 5%, and the maximum

ortion to the resistance of the conductor and the
xceed NEC recommendations.

Resistance
ohms/1km

selected

AC Resistance & Reactance Table

Conductor properties from SKM software
Values are in ohms to neutral per 1000
meters. Values are for 3 single uncoated
copper cables in Aluminum conduit,
Formula for effective Z:
Z = R * pf + XL*sin[(arcCos(pf)]

calculation of effective Z
pf =
XL =
R=
Z=

0.000
0.000
0.000
0.000 ohms/1000 meters

Data Entry Check (1= all entry complete)

0
# wire sizes checked (should be 1)
0
Conductor data
Motor starting current