Power is one of the most expensive things to get wrong in a warehouse. Lease a unit with too little supply and you face costly upgrades, delays with the utility, or machines you simply cannot run. This guide explains the two units you will see on every spec sheet and how to estimate what you need.
kVA and kW are not the same thing
kVA (kilovolt-amperes) is the apparent power a supply can deliver. It is how electrical connections and transformers are usually rated.
kW (kilowatts) is the real power your equipment actually uses to do work. Machine nameplates, air conditioners and chargers usually list their load in kW.
The link between the two is the power factor: kW = kVA × power factor. For most commercial and light industrial sites a power factor of about 0.8 is a reasonable planning figure. So a 125 kVA supply gives roughly 100 kW of usable power.
How to estimate what you need
- List every piece of equipment you will run: lighting, air conditioning, machines, compressors, forklift chargers, cold rooms, office equipment.
- Write down the rated power of each item in kW. If a label shows amps, ask an electrician to convert it for your voltage.
- Decide what runs at the same time. Not everything is on at once. Your peak load is what runs together at the busiest moment.
- Add a safety margin of 20 to 25 percent for start-up surges and future growth.
- Convert to kVA by dividing your kW total by the power factor (for example 0.8).
Where power usually matters most
- Cold rooms and chillers run continuously and draw heavy loads.
- Light manufacturing, such as fabrication, printing and packaging lines, often needs three-phase power and high start-up current.
- Electric forklifts add charging load, often overnight.
- Air conditioning in offices or temperature-sensitive storage adds a steady base load in the UAE summer.
Why the supply you start with matters
Many warehouses in the market offer around 20 to 30 kW for a 5,000 sq ft unit. That is fine for dry storage, but it quickly limits machinery or cooling. Every Al Maha unit comes with 125 kVA, about 100 kW, so most light industrial and cold storage operations can run without a supply upgrade.
Not sure about your numbers? Share your equipment list with our team and we will help you check it during a free consultation.