Technology has advanced substantially in recent years, beyond what the designers of buildings even a few short years ago could have anticipated. The increase in office equipment is the most marked change—copy machines, fax machines, and computers at every workstation. All of these new electronic devices have no doubt, with few exceptions, overloaded the building power-distribution systems.
The practical implications of this system loading, up to or beyond the design, are subtle. First, there’s a greater voltage drop throughout the distribution system, which means further resistance losses. In addition, motors see a lower voltage and thus consume more current. In either case, energy is used much less efficiently.
Further problems may occur, other than poor energy use and distribution. The wiring, panels, and circuits may all be loaded to capacity, even beyond. This increases energy losses via heat buildup and accelerates the aging of wire coating and other elements of the power distribution system. The potential of fire and faulty operation of breakers, fuses, and other safety measures increases the longer the unexpected demands are made on the power distribution system.
Conversely, it’s proactive to over design new building systems so that additional equipment does not overload the electrical apparatus in the not too distant future.
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Excerpt from Energy Conservation Projects.