Energy yield
The energy yield is understood to be the electrical energy generated by a power plant in a certain period of time (usually one year) . The term is not only applied to larger systems such as coal-fired power plants , river power plants or nuclear power plants , but also to smaller to very small systems such as photovoltaic systems or wind turbines .
For various reasons, power plants cannot continuously deliver their nominal output . The reasons depend on the type of power plant. For example, wind power plants are dependent on the wind, river power plants on the respective water level. Typical base load power plants such as coal or nuclear power plants also have downtimes, for example in the course of overhauls, failures, or in the event of longer and insufficient demand for electrical energy. The term energy yield is used to indicate the benefits of such a system.
The energy yield is calculated from the average performance multiplied by the period in which the average performance was performed. The physical unit of energy yield is usually given in watt hours (Wh) and multiples thereof.
The quotient of the real energy yield divided by the theoretical maximum energy yield is called the specific energy yield.