Voltage Drop Calculator

415
50
100
26240

Volts
Amperes
Distance (Feet)
Cmils

1.0%
4.2

Percent Voltage Drop, CU, 3 Phase

Volts Dropped, CU, 3 Phase

1.7%
7.0

Percent Voltage Drop, AL, 3 Phase

Volts Dropped, AL, 3 Phase

1.2%
4.8

Percent Voltage Drop, CU, Single Phase

Volts Dropped, CU, Single Phase

1.9%
8.1

Percent Voltage Drop, AL, Single Phase

Volts Dropped, AL, Single Phase

AWG
18
16
14
12
10
8
6
4
3
2
1
1/O
2/O
3/O
4/O
250
400
500

K=12.6 for CU and K=21.2 for AL

1.73 X I X L X K / Cmils = VD 3 Phase
2 X I X L X K / Cmils = VD Single Phase
( VD / E ) x 100 = %VD
Electric West Inc.
1417 Energy St.
PO Box 939
Gillette, WY 82717-0939
(307) 686-6466 Office
(307) 682-6615 Fax
Designed by Lorn MacIlravie
lorn@vcn.com
Comments or corrections are welcome!
The calculator is based on the information in Ugly's Electrical References.

Cmils
1620
2580
4110
6530
10380
16510
26240
41740
52620
66360
83690
105600
133100
167800
211600
250000
400000
500000

How to use this Excel Spreadsheet:

1- Put the input data which are:
Voltage in Volts,
Load Current in Amps,
Distance in Feets,
Cable Cross section Area in Cmils.

Note:if you have the Cable Cross section Area in AWG/Kcmil use the shown table to get the equivalent
Cmils.
2- Get Voltage drop (V D) in V from the following Formula:
Voltage drop (V D) 3 Phase = 1.73 X I X L X K / Cmils
Voltage drop (V D) Single Phase = 2 X I X L X K / Cmils
Where K=12.6 for CU and K=21.2 for AL

3- Get Voltage drop (V D) in percent from the following Formula:

(V D) % = Voltage drop (V D) in V x 100 / Voltage
4- From the Results section, select the Result that match with the actual method of installation from the
following choices:
Copper and 3 phase,
Aluminum and 3 phase,
Copper and single phase,
Aluminum and single phase.

5- If the (V D %) > the predetermined Value according to Country Regulations (2.5 % or 3%), change the Cable
Cross section Area in Cmils with a higher size.