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EDWartens UK

Free course · Electrical

Electrical Design Engineering: Loads, Cables, Breakers and Distribution

Free electrical design course for engineers: estimate loads, size cables and breakers, draw single-line diagrams. The certificate is optional and paid.

See the modules

Free to learn. Verifiable certificate £19 when you pass the final exam (optional, VAT included).

Level
Beginner
Modules
11
Video
17 hours
Price
Free

Outcome

What you will be able to do

Estimate loads with demand and diversity factors, build a load schedule, correct power factor with capacitor banks, draw a panel single-line diagram, select fuses and breakers by frame, trip and breaking capacity, choose cable construction and size cables by current, derating and voltage drop, size conduits, and specify UPS, automatic transfer switches and lightning protection.

  • Revise AC, DC, star, delta, power and power factor
  • Estimate loads with demand, diversity and load factors and build a load schedule
  • Size capacitor banks and draw panel single-line diagrams
  • Select fuses and circuit breakers by curve, frame, trip and breaking capacity
  • Specify and size cables with derating, voltage drop and conduits
  • Estimate fault level and choose an earthing system that meets the loop impedance limit
  • Size UPS and transfer switches and design lightning protection

Software

A spreadsheet (Excel or LibreOffice) for load schedules; no CAD needed.

Hardware

None required.

Syllabus

11 modules

Each module has video lessons, notes and a short quiz. The final exam closes the course.

  1. 1Electrical Fundamentals for Designers6 lessons
  2. 2Loads, Demand and Diversity5 lessons
  3. 3Demand and Diversity Factors from IEEE, IEC and NEC1 lesson
  4. 4Load Estimation in Practice and Reading Drawings4 lessons
  5. 5Power Factor Correction2 lessonsLab
  6. 6Panel Boards, Single-Line Diagrams and Fuses2 lessonsLab
  7. 7Circuit Breakers: Curves, Ratings, Fault Level and Selection8 lessonsLab
  8. 8Cables: Construction and Classification6 lessons
  9. 9Cable Sizing, Derating, Voltage Drop and Conduits6 lessonsLab
  10. 10Earthing, UPS, Transfer Switches and Lightning Protection7 lessons
  11. 11Final Assessment1 lesson

How it works

How this course works

  1. Watch the video lessonsOne module at a time, at your own pace.
  2. Take the module quizA short quiz at the end of each module shows what stuck.
  3. Keep your notesWrite in My notes beside each module and ask the trainer if you are stuck.
  4. Practise in the labOptionalTry a task from the module in the EDWartens Lab, in your browser.
  5. Sit the final examPass it once you have been through the modules.
  6. Certificate, if you want oneOptionalPaid, and only after you pass. Anyone can check it online.

EDWartens Lab

Practise this in the EDWartens Lab

Read a single-line diagram, size a motor circuit, check breaker ratings against the fault level and correct power factor, the same sums a design file needs.

Works alongside Electrical Design Engineering: Loads, Cables, Breakers and Distribution. The Lab is substation and mcc practice in your browser: no install, no hardware, free to use. Sign in as a learner and it opens with your account.

Open the free lab See the Lab
Substation and MCC: Work a real switchroom.

Levels to try with this course

Optional. Skip it whenever you like: it never blocks your progress or your certificate.

Why practise in a lab

Technical work is judged on what you can do: wiring, commissioning, finding a fault. Doing a task yourself teaches more than watching it a second time, and a lab lets you try it safely before you meet real equipment. It does not replace working on real hardware.

  • Practise safely, so a mistake costs nothing.
  • The lab checks your work like a site test, so you know when it is right.
  • Free, in your browser, with nothing to install.

Certificate

An optional certificate when you pass

Learning is free. Pass the final exam and you can have a certificate for £19, including VAT, with a number employers can check online. It records that you completed a free online course; it is not a regulated qualification or a CPD certificate.

  • Your name, the course, its study time and your final exam score
  • A unique certificate number and a QR code to its verification page
  • Issued by Wartens Ltd; add it to your LinkedIn profile in one click
  • Pay now or after you pass: it is issued the moment you pass the final

How the certificate works

Sample certificate for Electrical Design Engineering: Loads, Cables, Breakers and Distribution

Credits

Who made the lessons

The video lessons belong to their creators. EDWartens wrote the study plan, notes, quizzes and the final exam.

Questions

About this course

Is this based on BS 7671?
The calculations use IEC practice, which BS 7671 follows. For UK installations the cable, protection and disconnection rules are in BS 7671:2018+A4:2026; take Wiring Regulations in Practice alongside this course.
What does an electrical design engineer do?
An electrical design engineer works out on paper how a building or plant will be powered: the loads, the distribution boards, the protective devices and the cables, before anything is bought or installed. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics describes electrical engineers as people who design, develop and test electrical equipment and systems, and reports their median annual wage as $120,630 in May 2025. This course follows that design sequence: load schedules, single-line diagrams, breaker selection, cable sizing, earthing and backup supplies.
Which standard covers the design of low-voltage electrical installations?
Outside North America, the main reference is the IEC 60364 series on low-voltage electrical installations. The IEC states that IEC 60364-1 defines the scope and objective of the series and specifies the fundamental safety requirements for an electrical installation; its sixth edition was published in September 2025. In the United States the equivalent is the National Electrical Code, which is why this course uses IEC by default and notes NEC and IEEE factors where the lectures use them.
Which standards are used?
IEC by default, with NEC and IEEE factors where the lectures reference them; the method is the same under national wiring rules.
Is this the same as the panel-building course?
No. This is the design that comes before the panel: loads, protection and cables. The panel course builds what this course specifies.
Do I need ETAP or AutoCAD?
No. A spreadsheet is enough; the ETAP and AutoCAD Electrical courses follow on from here.
Is the course really free?
Yes. Every module, practice task and assessment. You create an account so your progress is saved and the assessments can be marked. The certificate is the only paid item, and only if you want it.
What certificate do I get, and is it a vendor qualification?
An EDWartens Certificate of Completion, issued when you pass the final assessment, with a verification code anyone can check. It is not a vendor credential and is never described as one.
Who made the video lessons?
The creators named in the Credits block at the foot of this page, on their own YouTube channels. EDWartens did not make the videos and the creators are not affiliated with EDWartens. What EDWartens wrote is the study plan, the notes, the practice tasks and the assessments.
How long does the course take?
Plan on about 17 hours in all, including the video lessons, notes and practice tasks. It is self-paced, so you work through the ten modules at your own speed.

Power systems and electrical design

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See the whole path

The Professional Module is five live days of Siemens PLC, HMI and SCADA with an instructor, then a resume session and a CPD certificate.

See the Professional Module