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I've spoken with some of the other drive-in owners, and some knew how to answer this question and some did not.

Our new lot for the drive-in is in an Industrial Park setting. There is 3 phase power available at the property line, but how big of a "service drop" do we need amperage wise? 400 amps, 800 amps.

We will have a twin screen drive-in with two 4kw lamps (one each screen), my deep fryers and grills are also 3 phase. The popcorn popper is 220/240 volts, and the rest of the equipment is 110 volt.

Any ideas??

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Barry Floyd
Floyd Entertainment Group
Lebanon, Tennessee

Stardust Drive-In Theatre
Watertown, Tennessee

1. Determine your electrical load
A. Voltage required by load 480Y277 or 208Y120 3 phase etc.
B.Amperes or KVA capacity required by load
C. Cycles per second (should be 60HZ)

All of the above information is standard data normally obtained from equipment nameplates or instruction manuals, you will need to add additional power for lighting, 120V outlet circuits, etc.

I would suggest contacting a local electrical contractor, most larger contractors have estimators that can determine the above, they will be familiar with the local utility, inspectors, etc. There are many facotrs in designing a proper electrical distibution system, voltage drop, code requirements, too many to list.