HELP PLEASE - Electrical ignoranous needs advice re new supply to campsite

[NorwichCampsite]

Hello all

Hopefully someone somewhere out there can offer me some help with an electrical headache! I am setting up a new campsite and need a new electrical connection. The site is approx 150m from the highway and next to a barn which has power to it.

It has been stated that the barn's power is 'spurred' of another buildings supply situated 150m away and that, consequently, I cannot take pwer from here and will need a new connection. So far so simple...

When filling in the UK Power networks form it asks for the required power in kVa.
The site will have 1 static caravan (for me and partner to live in), 1 washroom block (20’ jackleg cabin unit), 2 x twin shower units (both jackleg cabin units) and a reception/stores building housed in a converted stable.
I have talked to the supplier of the washroom and shower units and he has stated that the washroom requires 60A and the showers 100A per block. Using an Amps to kVa calculator on the web this shows I need 62.4 kVa (260A x 240v) for the washroom and showers alone.
Add to this the accommodation (guess 40A x 240v = 9.6kVa) and reception (guess 20A x 240v = 4.8kVa) and it comes out at approx 77kVa.
My questions are:

1. are these calculations correct in principle (for example, do I multiply by 240 v in every case?)?
2. does 77kVa seem a realistic number given the relatively small scale of the project – from a quick poke about on the internet it does seem as though up to 70kVa would supply 5 houses, so 77 seems a lot for one little campsite?
3. If 77kVa is correct(ish), do I need a single or three phase supply (another question from the good people at UK Power Networks?

oii
Any help you can offer would really be very, very much appreciated. As is no doubt very clear from the questions above I am a rank amateur when it comes to electricity and whilst I have tried gleaning as much info as poss from the internet and the supplier of the units I have no confidence in my results to date!

Thanks in advance!

 

[Adam W]

It's very unlikely that all the electrical equipment will be used at the same time. Presumably you'll be getting an electrician in to install everything anyway, who will be able to do the calculations and maybe suggest ways to reduce your power consumption.

 

[Geordie Spark]

Hello and :welcome2:

 

[Deleted member 9648]

Diversity....which is the principle that not all loads will be in use at the same time....is taken into account when calculating total load,this needs to be undertaken by an electrically competant person. Much depends on the means of heating water for showers etc..as 4x instantaneous electric showers for example might draw approx 120a on there own,and it's quite likely they will all be in use at the same time. A hot water storage system would be considerably less power hungry,although careful design would be needed to ensure sufficient hot water at peak times.
I think you need a proper design of your water heating before calculating KVA requirements.

 

[Rockingit]

Norwich - I would strongly advise that you bring an electrical contractor into this project before you go too much farther - even if they make a charge for giving you the advice you need (most probably wouldn't if they were doing all the subsequent work) it will be much less than the cost of you making a mistake now.

And yes, 70-80KVA does sound a lot!

 

[plugsandsparks]

Dont suppose you have mains gas on site ? Water heating is power hungry and as others have said hopefully not all on at the same time but if you had a family arrive and they all shower at the same time, the lights could go out ....eek.
You seriously need to consider the likelihood of simulatneous use and either storage of hot water or gas heating of water. i.e. combi,
Would be interested in the prices for supply, you could give them a couple of options, i.e. 24KVA, 48KVA and 72KVA - you may be shocked by the price (sorry for pun)