====== Loads ======

//Loads// are electrical burdens placed on an electrical system.

When vandwellers talk about loads they usually mean //user loads// like lighting, running a laptop or microwave.  
Technically, though, it also includes //system loads// like charging the bank.  Understanding this last part will help make [[electrical:solar:rationing|power rationing]] and [[electrical:solar:nonessential|load timing]] easier to implement.

===== parasitic loads =====
//Parasitic// (or //vampire//) loads are tiny, continuous loads that can deplete the bank's state of charge.  The classical example is a device like a USB outlet that uses power internally whether or not anything is plugged into it. Some [[electrical:inverter|inverters]], [[electrical:solar:charge_controller|solar charge controllers]], and voltage-sensing [[electrical:12v:alternator|isolators]] can have significant parasitic draws.