Industrial13 October 2026

Adding Machinery or Refrigeration: When an Industrial Site Needs a Supply and Metering Review

New production equipment can change simultaneous demand and connection requirements. Review the whole supply before relying on a spare board position.

Workshop containing a drill press, cylinders and other equipment

Illustrative stock photograph; not a Smart Meter Australia installation.

Australian Owned & Operated

NSW Level 2 ASP

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AS/NZS 3000 Compliant Work

Ausgrid Service Area

Endeavour Energy Service Area

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Residential, Commercial and Strata

Work completed in accordance with applicable NSW network, metering and electrical requirements.

Describe the expansion in operational terms

A new production line, cold room or compressor changes more than the annual energy total. Give the electrical team the equipment specifications, operating cycles and expected overlaps with existing machinery. Include auxiliary loads such as extraction, pumps, defrost equipment and HVAC rather than only the principal machine.

Explain future stages and whether new equipment replaces old equipment or adds to it. A shift pattern, simultaneous motor starts or a refrigeration recovery cycle can matter to the assessment. The supplier’s installation data is more useful than an estimate based solely on a machine’s advertised output.

Energy use and maximum demand are different

Energy in kWh describes consumption over time. Maximum demand concerns the supply required when loads operate together under the relevant assessment method. Existing interval and demand records are useful evidence, but historic demand may not include the proposed operating scenario and is not a substitute for a design assessment.

A facility can have room for another circuit yet lack approved supply capacity, suitable mains or adequate switchgear. The assessment should check the connection, internal distribution and metering arrangement together. Do not choose a larger protective device or assume a meter exchange creates capacity for the machinery.

Prepare a facility growth brief

Current single-line diagrams, connection records and available load/demand history.
New equipment nameplates and manufacturer installation requirements.
Operating schedules, starting patterns and loads that overlap.
Planned future stages, site access and production constraints.
Known solar, batteries or generators that affect isolation and operation.

Check approvals and metering class together

Our industrial supply and metering review service assesses the project scope and coordinates relevant network and metering steps. Supply increases can require applications and additional works; metering requirements follow the assessed and accepted arrangement, not a universal threshold from a generic article.

Higher-capacity sites may use current-transformer metering, but the applicable design, equipment and provider requirements need project-specific confirmation. The network connection and metering-provider process have different responsibilities. Ask which acceptance is needed for each part of the expansion and whether specialist engineering is required.

Make the commercial decision before installation

Compare the accepted options: a supply upgrade, staged equipment commissioning, different equipment or properly designed load management may have different cost and operational implications. Obtain a scope covering mains, board, metering, network work and shutdown coordination where relevant. Do not assume every option is technically available.

Ask the retailer about any demand or tariff implications using the intended operating pattern. Supply capacity and retail charges are separate questions. Agree the shutdown, testing and production restart responsibilities before machinery delivery, and retain the revised diagrams and compliance records after the work.

COMMON QUESTIONS

Does spare switchboard space prove capacity is available?

No. Approved supply capacity, mains, protection, switchgear and simultaneous demand still need assessment.

Can last year’s bill prove the new machines will fit?

Historic data is useful, but may not represent the proposed loads or operating overlaps. Provide the equipment schedule for a professional maximum-demand assessment.

Is there one CT-metering threshold for every industrial site?

Do not rely on a generic number. Confirm the accepted connection and current network/provider metering requirements for the project.

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