When an MVA label does not mean you should convert to MW

Con Edison's Hosting Capacity FAQ asks whether its stated hosting capacity in MVA must be multiplied by power factor to obtain MW. The answer says the provided minimum and maximum values already indicate MW. Applying a conversion to those values would change the meaning of the data.

This clarification concerns the hosting-capacity values addressed by that FAQ. It does not establish the units of every Con Edison load, electrification or equipment-rating field. For an individual export, establish which map layer and field the documentation covers before applying it.

For screening records, this site labels Con Edison as EV hosting capacity (ev_hosting_capacity), MW, not comparable to load-serving headroom; Con Edison substation records have no utility-reported source date. The FAQ clarification must not be transferred to another field without checking its scope. No per-record values are shown below; the arithmetic example is hypothetical.

A valid formula can still produce the wrong interpretation

For a quantity genuinely expressed as apparent power, real power equals apparent power multiplied by power factor. As an explicitly assumed example, 10 MVA at a power factor of 0.90 corresponds to 9 MW. If the original value already represents 10 MW, multiplying it by 0.90 incorrectly reduces it to 9 MW.

The example assumes a power factor solely to demonstrate the arithmetic. It is not a typical value for a tenant or a guarantee of what equipment can deliver. See what a building's electrical service rating tells you for the underlying quantities.

Establish the field's meaning first

A capacity comparison should retain the source field name, stated unit, documented interpretation, assessment conditions and date. An equipment rating, a calculated hosting limit and an estimate of additional load are different quantities even when they share a unit.

If the label and methodology conflict, record the discrepancy and seek clarification from the utility. Do not silently apply a default power factor or relabel every field in the dataset. Converting units can make two numbers look comparable without making their underlying assessments comparable.