18/02/2022

Importance of Load factor and Diversity Factor

  

Load factor

  • It is defined as the ratio of average demand to the maximum demand.
  • Load factor = Average demand / Maximum demand
  • Average load = Number of unit generation / time
  • Average load ( Daily )  

            = Number of unit generation in a day / 24

  • Average load ( Month )  

           = Number of unit generation in a day / 24 × 30

  • Average load ( Yearly )  

           = Number of unit generation in a day / 24 × 30 × 365

Importance of load factor

  • Higher value of load factor means lower will be cost per unit generated and vice versa it is desirable that the value of load factor always higher.
  • Higher the load factor means lower maximum demand or higher average demand ( or higher number of unit generation for a given time )
  • As tariff charges depends upon fixed part-maximum demand and variable part number of units consumption.
  • Lower value maximum demand, resulting lower fixed charges of tariff which is distributed among large number of units generated therefore overall cost per unit generation is reduced.
  • As the number of unit generation for a given time increases, the load factor also increases. 
  • Greater number of unit generation for a given plant, means cost per unit decreases.

Diversity factor

  • It is defined as the ratio of sum of individual maximum demand and maximum demand of the power station.
  • Diversity Factor 

          = Sum of individual maximum demand 

                                                / Maximum demand of power station

Importance of diversity factor

  • Lower the value of maximum demand, higher the diversity factor as vice versa. 
  • The capital cost of power station depends upon capacity of the power station. 
  • Lower the maximum demand, lower the capital required for the power station. 
  • For a given number of consumers, higher the diversity factor of load, smaller will be capacity of the plant therefore fixed charges for the plant will be reduced.  
  • Therefore the utility company always tries to increases load factor as well as diversity factor.

 

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