Add area based loads to your model for use in an electrical analysis.
This video demonstrates the following:
Revit provides electrical engineering load estimating workflows that allow decision-making early in the design process. Capturing the area-based loads and other electrical requirements natively within Revit allows users to determine what the preliminary building load will be.
There are two parts to the electrical analysis workflow. First, you define the electrical analytical loads, and then you define the electrical analytical system components. Open the plan you wish to base your Electrical Analysis on, and then open the System Browser. You can create area-based loads using a variety of reference data, such as an architectural RVT, DWG, or PDF.
In the Properties palette, set Discipline to Electrical. Before you can define electrical area-based loads, you must first define a closed region using area-based load boundaries. From the Analyze tab, Electrical Analysis panel, select Area Based Load Boundary. On the Modify | Place Area Based Load Boundary tab, you can either use the Draw tools to sketch the area-based load boundary, or use the existing walls, lines, or edges to sketch the boundary. To use existing lines, from the Draw panel, select Pick Line. In the drawing area, pick the lines of the boundary. In this example, the plan includes curtain walls, which will need to be cleaned up. After picking the remainder of the building perimeter, back on the ribbon, Modify tab, Modify panel, select Trim/Extend to Corner. Select each of the elements that you want to keep until the perimeter of the border includes the curtain wall. Then, click Modify to complete the boundary.
With the area-based load boundary in place, you are now ready to define the electrical area-based loads within it. Return to the Analyze tab on the ribbon, and, from the Electrical Analysis panel, select Area Based Load. This opens the Edit Area Based Load contextual tab. In the drawing, select the area you defined. To set the type, from the Properties palette, Electrical – Loads group, select Area Based Load Type. In the Electrical Analytical Load Type Settings dialog, you define the power requirements for the area-based load. If needed, you can create a new area-based load type, or you can duplicate, rename, or delete them.
For this example, General Lighting is selected. Also, for each area-based load type name, you can define the power density, load classification, power factor, and apparent power density. In this case, use the default values. Once you have the appropriate type selected and defined, click OK. Back in the ribbon, select Finish Editing.
Notice in the System Browser that the Area Based Load now displays. Select the load, and then rename it either here or in the Properties palette under Identity Data. In the Name field, enter a descriptive name, such as “LTG” for “lighting” in this example. Note that the name updates in the System Browser as well. Now that you have defined the area for the load, the next step is to define the analytical system components.