Warehouse Heat Load Input Form
Example Data Table
| Input | Example Value | Unit |
|---|---|---|
| Warehouse size | 60 × 40 × 8 | m |
| Indoor and outdoor temperature | 24 and 38 | °C |
| Infiltration and ventilation | 0.75 and 2500 | ACH, m³/h |
| Lighting and equipment | 8 and 18 | W/m², kW |
| Safety factor | 12 | % |
Formula Used
Floor area = length × width.
Wall area = 2 × (length + width) × height × exposed wall percentage.
Envelope load = U × area × temperature difference.
Solar load = solar gain × exposed area × solar factor.
Infiltration airflow = warehouse volume × air changes per hour.
Sensible air load = air density × air specific heat × airflow × temperature difference.
Latent air load = air density × airflow × latent heat × humidity difference.
Internal load = people load + lighting load + equipment load + miscellaneous load.
Product load = mass × specific heat × product temperature change ÷ pull-down time.
Total load = subtotal load + safety allowance.
Refrigeration tons = BTU per hour ÷ 12,000.
How to Use This Calculator
Enter the warehouse length, width, and height first.
Add indoor and outdoor design temperatures.
Enter insulation U values for walls, roof, and floor.
Add solar, infiltration, ventilation, humidity, and occupancy values.
Include lighting, equipment, product pull-down, and miscellaneous loads.
Press the calculate button to see the result above the form.
Use CSV or PDF buttons to save the current result.
Warehouse Heat Load Planning Guide
Why Warehouse Loads Differ
A warehouse is not a small room with simple gains. It has tall air volume, wide roof area, large doors, stored goods, forklifts, workers, and changing schedules. Heat enters through walls and roof when outdoor air is hotter than the design indoor condition. Extra heat also enters when doors open and outside air replaces conditioned air. This calculator separates each source so the design is easier to review.
Envelope And Solar Effects
Envelope load depends on U value, exposed area, and temperature difference. Lower U values mean better insulation. Roof load is often important because roof area is large and solar gain can be strong. Wall solar gain may also matter for metal buildings and west facing walls. The tool lets you add roof and wall solar allowances when a simple temperature difference is not enough.
Air Exchange Load
Ventilation and infiltration usually create a major warehouse load. Air change rate estimates leakage, door traffic, and dock activity. Mechanical ventilation is entered separately. The calculator applies sensible air heat with air density, specific heat, airflow, and temperature difference. It can also add latent load from humidity difference. This is useful for warehouses with fresh air requirements or humid climates.
Internal And Product Gains
People, lighting, machines, chargers, and handling equipment release heat indoors. The calculator includes sensible and latent people loads. Lighting can be entered by floor area. Equipment can be entered as total power with a heat fraction. Product load estimates heat removed from stored goods during pull down. This helps when warm pallets arrive and must reach storage temperature within a set time.
Design Use
The final total includes a safety factor. The output reports watts, kilowatts, BTU per hour, and refrigeration tons. It also estimates electrical input from COP. Use the result for early sizing, comparison, and energy planning. Final designs still need local codes, load profiles, equipment data, door studies, and professional review. Good measurements make the result stronger. Review assumptions often when operations change. For cold storage, add defrost, fan, and door heater loads. For dry storage, check comfort targets and product limits. Compare peak and average cases before buying equipment during the final review stage.
FAQs
What is a warehouse heat load?
It is the total heat entering or generated inside a warehouse. It includes envelope gains, air exchange, people, lighting, equipment, stored goods, and safety allowance.
Can this calculator size an air conditioner?
It gives a useful starting capacity in kilowatts, BTU per hour, and tons. A final design should include equipment data, codes, climate files, and professional review.
Why is ventilation included?
Fresh air enters with outdoor heat and moisture. This can be a large load in warehouses with dock doors, exhaust fans, or required mechanical ventilation.
What U value should I enter?
Use the tested or specified U value for each construction layer. Lower values show better insulation. Use project documents when available.
What does ACH mean?
ACH means air changes per hour. It estimates how many times the warehouse air volume is replaced by leakage or door movement each hour.
How is product load calculated?
Product load uses mass, specific heat, temperature change, and pull-down time. It estimates the cooling needed to remove stored product heat.
Why add a safety factor?
A safety factor covers uncertainty in weather, doors, occupancy, insulation, and equipment use. Avoid extreme oversizing unless a designer confirms it.
Does the PDF button create a real file?
Yes. The button downloads a simple PDF report generated by the page. The CSV button downloads a spreadsheet-friendly result file.