What items will the generator power?

Make a complete list of all equipment that will run on the generator. This includes:

• Air conditioning units (common in offices, malls, and hotels)
• Elevators and escalators
• Refrigeration systems (critical for restaurants, cold storage, groceries)
• Lighting systems
• IT equipment and servers
• Industrial machines

Missing even a few items can lead to under-sizing, which may result in overloads or system failure during outages.

 In the Philippines, coordinate with your facility engineer or building administrator to ensure all loads—including critical and non-critical—are accounted for.

What is the starting and running wattage of those items?

Check the equipment nameplate or owner’s manual for:

• Running watts (continuous load)
• Starting watts (especially for motors, compressors, and pumps)

If documentation is unavailable:

• Look up the model online
• Contact the supplier or manufacturer
• Use estimation charts (but treat them as approximations)

Many locally used equipment items (e.g., air conditioner units, pumps) have high starting currents, which is a major factor in generator sizing.

What is the total power requirement?

Once all loads are identified:

• Convert everything into kilowatts (kW) or kilovolt-amperes (kVA)
• In the Philippines, generators are commonly rated in kVA, so apply the formula:
  kW ÷ Power Factor (typically 0.8) = kVA

Example:
If your total load is 80 kW → Required generator ≈ 100 kVA