For a house with an outside dimension of 2,500 sq ft, including a 400 sq ft garage, what is the general lighting load in VA?

To calculate the general lighting load for a house, the National Electrical Code (NEC) suggests a specific formula to determine the required volt-amps (VA) based on the area of the dwelling. According to the NEC, for residential buildings, the general lighting load is typically calculated at 3 VA per square foot for habitable areas.

First, we need to establish the total square footage of the living space. In this case, the total area of the house is 2,500 square feet, which includes a 400 square foot garage. However, the garage is not typically included in the calculation for general lighting load since it is considered a non-habitable area.

To find the lighting load, only the habitable portion of the house should be considered. That means we take the total square footage and subtract the garage area:

2,500 sq ft (total) - 400 sq ft (garage) = 2,100 sq ft (habitable area)

Next, we apply the VA calculation to the habitable area:

2,100 sq ft × 3 VA/sq ft = 6,300 VA

This result is the general lighting load for the habitable space in the house. Therefore, the correct answer reflects