What service utilization means
Service utilization compares an observed peak-demand value with a user-defined service capacity. The result is useful for understanding how heavily a service has been used historically and whether demand is moving toward or away from the entered capacity.
Core calculation
Utilization percentage = peak demand ÷ service capacity × 100. Each historical reading is converted to that percentage and the tool identifies the highest observed utilization.
The trend direction is based on the change between the first and last entered peak-demand reading. This makes the metric easy to understand but deliberately avoids claiming a detailed statistical forecast.
Worked example
If service capacity is 250 units and a historical peak is 175 units, utilization is 70%. A later peak of 200 units would correspond to 80%. If the sequence continues upward, the service-demand trend is rising in this dataset.
Why this differs from load growth analysis
Growth analysis focuses on the rate at which load changes. Service utilization adds a capacity reference, making it directly useful for asking how much of the defined service capacity has actually been used at observed peaks.
Interpreting high utilization
A high percentage should prompt further investigation, not an automatic conclusion that an upgrade is required. The capacity value itself must be valid for the intended comparison and the actual electrical installation must be evaluated using the appropriate engineering criteria.
Common mistakes
Do not enter a nominal equipment rating when the intended comparison is a service capacity unless that is actually the reference you want. Do not mix kW, kVA and amperes without conversion. Do not treat historical maximum demand as the only design criterion.
Safety and limitations
This analyzer does not determine service ampacity, transformer rating, feeder sizing or code compliance. Its capacity value is user-defined and must be appropriate to the system being studied.
Frequently asked questions
Can utilization exceed 100%?
The tool allows the calculation to reveal that condition, but a value above 100% should trigger a review of the capacity definition, units and measurement data.
Does the trend use every data point?
For the displayed direction, the tool compares the first and last readings. It does not perform a regression analysis.
Can I use measured peak demand?
Yes. Measured historical peak values are an appropriate input basis when the measurement method is consistent.