A commercial kitchen with more than six pieces of equipment is subject to a demand factor of what percentage?

In commercial kitchens, when there are multiple pieces of equipment in use, demand factors help to determine the maximum expected load for electrical service calculations. For a kitchen with more than six pieces of equipment, the applicable demand factor is set at 65%. This percentage is established based on standard practices in the National Electrical Code (NEC) to ensure that the electrical service is adequately sized for the expected load without being excessively overbuilt.

Using a demand factor of 65% means that rather than calculating the total load of all equipment at full capacity, which could lead to an oversizing of the electrical systems, you can appropriately reduce that expected load. This is essential in optimizing energy resources while still providing sufficient power for kitchen operations. The application of this percentage acknowledges that not all equipment will be operating at maximum capacity simultaneously, allowing for efficient and safe kitchen design.