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Cooling Load Calculator

Estimate cooling loads for conditioned spaces.

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This is a preliminary, criteria-driven cooling load build-up for early budgeting and plant space planning: area load, people, lighting, equipment and fresh-air contributions are summed and a safety margin applied. Every density figure is your own design criterion — the tool contains no standard load table.

Method and assumptions

  • Area load (kW) = area × density ÷ 1000
  • People load (kW) = occupants × W/person ÷ 1000
  • Lighting load (kW) = area × lighting density ÷ 1000
  • Total = (area + people + equipment + lighting + fresh-air) × (1 + margin%)
  • TR = kW ÷ 3.5168
  • Load density and per-person heat gain are user-entered from the project's own design criteria.
  • A preliminary decision-support estimate: the result does not replace an approved design calculation or review by a competent authority.
  • All percentages and inputs are user-defined; the calculation is purely arithmetic and assumes no particular code or specification.

Frequently asked questions

Does it replace a detailed load calculation?
No. It is a preliminary decision-support estimate. It performs no hourly, envelope or psychrometric analysis and does not implement any published load-calculation procedure.
How is TR derived?
Tons of refrigeration = total kW ÷ 3.5168, a fixed unit conversion applied after the margin.
What comes after the load?
Airflow from the sensible portion, then duct sizing, velocity check and pump/pipe sizing — all available in the HVAC category and the HVAC Design Suite.

Next step

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