About the Control Room Area Estimator

Solar substation control room area sizing determines the minimum floor space required to house the SCADA / RTU cabinets, numerical protection relay panels, DC battery bank, and ancillary equipment — based on CEA norms, panel dimensions, and operational clearance requirements.

How to calculate it

1. 1List all equipment to be housed: relay panels (HV feeder, transformer differential, bus protection), SCADA/RTU rack, DC distribution board (DCDB), battery charger and 110 V DC battery bank, communication equipment (router, optical terminal), metering panel, and earthing bar.
2. 2Assign standard panel widths: relay panels typically 600–800 mm wide; SCADA rack 600–800 mm; battery bank requires a separate ventilated battery room or bay.
3. 3Apply CEA clearances: 1500 mm front-of-panel working aisle; 800 mm rear-of-panel maintenance aisle; 600 mm between panel rear and wall if no access required.
4. 4Layout panels along one or two rows, calculate total length, and multiply by aisle depth to get the net floor area.
5. 5Add 20% for cable entry space (raised floor plenum or cable trench) and future panel slots.

Worked example

A 33 kV, 10 MW solar plant: 4 relay panels (3.2 m), 1 SCADA rack (0.8 m), 1 DCDB + charger (0.8 m) = 4.8 m row length. Front aisle: 1.5 m. Panel depth: 0.6 m. Rear aisle: 0.8 m. Net control room width: 1.5 + 0.6 + 0.8 = 2.9 m. Length: 4.8 m + 1 m for access = 5.8 m. Control room area ≈ 5.8 × 2.9 = 16.8 m². Add 20% → ~20 m² minimum. Provide separate battery room (4 × 3 m = 12 m²) with ventilation.

What you can calculate

• Panel count
• SCADA consoles
• NBC clearance
• Cable trench

Standards & references

Frequently asked questions