During a certain week, a power plant turns out 8,400,000 kW-hr and the peak load during the week is 100,000 kW. What is the load factor during the week?
- A40%
- B45%
- C50%Correct
- D60%
Solution
Concept
Load factor of a power plant
Formula
Load factor = Average load / Peak load
Step-by-step solution
1. Hours in a week = 7 × 24 = 168 h. 2. Average load = 8,400,000 / 168 = 50,000 kW. 3. Load factor = 50,000 / 100,000 = 0.5 = 50%.
Explanation
The load factor is the ratio of the average load over a period to the peak load in that period. A high load factor means better use of the installed plant.
Shortcut
LF = energy / (peak × hours).
Common mistake
Using 7 hours or 24 hours instead of 168 hours.
Correct answer: C) 50%