Question: Plant use factor is
Options:
Maximum demand/Connected load
Number of units generated/(Plant capacity × number of hours plant operated)
Average demand/plant capacity
Average load/Maximum load
→ Important Points
Plant capacity factor: It is the ratio of actual energy produced to the maximum possible energy that could have been produced during a given period.
Plant capacity factor
=
Actual energy produced
Maximum energy that could have been produced
Plant capacity factor=
Maximum energy that could have been produced
Actual energy produced
Plant capacity factor
=
Average demand
×
𝑇
Plant capacity
×
100
Plant capacity factor=
Plant capacity
Average demand×T
×100
Annual plant capacity factor:
Annual plant capacity factor
=
Annual kWh output
Plant capacity
×
8760
Annual plant capacity factor=
Plant capacity
Annual kWh output
×8760
The plant capacity factor is an indication of the reserve capacity of the plant. A power station is designed with some reserve capacity to meet increased load demand in the future. Therefore, the installed capacity of the plant is always somewhat greater than the maximum demand.
Reserve capacity = Plant capacity – Maximum demand
If the maximum demand is equal to plant capacity, then load factor and plant capacity factor will have the same value. In such a case, the plant will have no reserve capacity.
Plant use factor: It is the ratio of kWh generated to the product of plant capacity and the number of hours for which the plant was in operation.
Plant use factor
=
Station output in kWh
Plant capacity
×
hours of use
Plant use factor=
Plant capacity×hours of use
Station output in kWh
Capacity factor = Load factor × plant use factor