Regarding the optimization exercise, I calculated the load factor in the "sample load shape" excel file (LF = maximum load*8760/total production = 57.5%). However, in the Result View of the exercise, the load factors are much higher (85%). Furthermore, for the base year, there is no load factor data in the result view.

Kindly explain how can the load factors in the simulation years are much higher than the base year.

If you are following the instructions in the Optimization Exercise (this is Exercise 6 of our Basic Training Materials), then you will have first set up night/day time slices for each season (8 slices in total). If you then import hourly load data into these slices, you will find that you hourly data become highly "averaged" within each of the eight time slices - in other words, extrema like the minimum and maximum load will be suppressed.

LEAP internally calculates the peak load on the system using the annual energy requirement, the information in your system load curve, and the width (in hours) of each time slice. This means that LEAP will define peak load (and therefore the load factor) differently than the highest load hour which is visible in the 8760-data point Excel spreadsheet. You can view the peak load results in LEAP by selecting the result Transformation: Peak Power Requirements.

Hope this helps,

Taylor

Thanks for the explanation. It is clear for me now.

However, it still bother me because I understand that Peak Load is one of the key factors for deciding endogenous capacity addition. So, if Peak Load calculated by LEAP different from the actual peak load (in base year), this will cause quite different results.

Best regards,

Kamia

Hope this helps,

Taylor

Thanks Taylor.