Create and Edit Circuits From Panel Schedules, Apply load/demand

[gseilerA6YML]

Revit Electrical is critically lacking on ability to work on circuits directly from the Panel Schedules.  Floor-plan based circuiting is far too slow for most projects.  This is especially true early on in a project and for projects with typical rooms.  

Revit currently has the ability to create Spares and Spaces in panel schedules.  You can even apply a breaker size and type in a load for spares. So we are very close to what we want to be able to do.

I propose we add a feature to "Create Circuit" or "Create Circuit Placeholder" right from the panel schedule.  We should then be able to create a real circuit with real load and load classification from there.  This would be able to then be part of the load classifications.  It would be nice (but not necessary) if we could connect devices to these circuits later.   

It would also be nice if we could edit a normal circuit from the panel schedules.  Right now you have to go on a wild goose chase looking for the devices on a circuit.  Clicking "edit circuit" from a selected circuit in a panel schedule would be nice.  This could bring up the systems navigator window and show the circuit.  You could then click on the devices and edit their loads.  

I've attached a couple of screenshots of what you can do currently in Revit  (Panel 1L2 is connected as a load to Panel 1L):  You can add spaces and even add spares with loads.  Those loads are always "spare" load classification and taken at 100% demand factor.  This is not terribly useful in practice and you must apply demand load calculations in most projects.  Reviewers want to see it.

[gseilerA6YML]

Here's some use case examples:

Use Case #1" Three typical telecom rooms (Panels 3T, 5T, 7T) all served from Panel 1T

• Right now to get Revit to calculate the loads you have to place panels and devices and circuit all three rooms.  When you make changes, you have to make the changes three times, etc.  
• What I suggest:  Circuit one room (3T) in Revit fully.  Connect 3T to 1T normally.  Create two more placeholder circuits for Panels 5T and 7T and just type in the same loads in those placeholder circuits.
• Now the panel schedule for 1T looks correct (real loads at the bottom, real loads on each branch breaker).
• You can the Plan for 3T and the Panel schedule 3T on the sheets and note that 5T and 7T are typical and be done.

Use Case #2: Existing Panel with existing loads

• No one doing remodels wants to place existing devices and circuit them just to show the panel schedule
• Let us fill in the panel schedule and have Revit calculate the loads properly.

[Martin__Schmid]

@gseilerA6YML - in the second use case, do you need the loads on the individual circuits, or do you just need a total existing load on the panel?  If you do need the load on individual circuits in the second use case, can you further articulate the case?

[gseilerA6YML]

Sorry for the slow response @Martin__Schmid.   

Ideally you'd get load from individual circuits to show and all load calculations would follow.  Depending on the reviewer who may be looking at it they may want you to sit and do the math.  So we all still have excel panel schedules that do the math.  I can share one with you that I made to look like a Revit Panel Schedule if that'd be helpful to check your calculations.  I'd be happy to explain more on the phone if that'd be helpful.

I mean it's so frustrating because right now Revit does like 95% of the work.   The one *critical* piece of the puzzle is the UI.  We need to be able to make circuits from the panel schedules without having to go to floor plans and fuss with devices.  Circuits should be capable of existing with zero connected devices and we should be able to just say "the load on this circuit is 500VA" and it's load type is "lighting" or "receptacle" or whatever.