ECN Forum Forums General Topics of the Trade General Discussion Area Circuit distribution. (or... high is high, or low)

Although largest next to main is the norm here, I don't believe it really makes that much difference. The busbar(s) should be sized to carry the maximum rated load of the panel with minimal voltage drop, even if the entire load is at the far end.

Sounds as though this might be another set of experiments for the ECN bench-testing group!

My 2 cents;

Heavy loads at top, try to separate at least 1 space between other frames.
LCL loads with >40% circuit rating go next.

Sensitive and light loads near the bottom.

Goal Electrically is trying to keep the surges and stuff from flowing through the entire bus, along with having heavy loads closer to the subfeed terminations.

Goal Thermally is to put the heat generating frames where the heat can dissipate better and not transfer to other frames via conduction [hence the attempt to leave a space between frames or sections of frames, along with staggering them back to back].

Does this makes sense???

Scott S.E.T.

Yet when you look at a SqD Homeline panel, if you look closely at the breaker assignment numbers. They imply that the double breakers go at the bottom. My experience has always seen them at the top with the same reasons listed here given.

I'm gonna dig deeper into this one.

Currently,
Are you sure you don't mean the "minis" go on the bottom.
This is where the panels that accept minis usually want tehm installed, as indicated by the bus diagram.
Although I have seen older panels that seemed to allow them in an irregular order.