Diversity Factor

In power systems, diversity factor is defined as the ratio of sum of individual maximum demands of all the consumers to the maximum demand of the overall load on the system.

\[Diversity factor=\frac{Sum of individual maximum demands}{Maximum demand of the system}\]

Diversity factor helps in deciding

the installation capacity of generation and transmission. Diversity factor is always greater than unity. The high diversity factor demands less installation capacity. So the diversity factor has to be maintained high. The diversity factor can reach unity if all the individual maximum demands come at the same time. If all the loads demand power at same time it needs high capacity power plant to supply all the loads. Thus Unity diversity factor requires large generation capacity. Moreover the plant capacity is wasted during the off peak load (or base load). Fortunately the maximum demands changes for various consumers practically any the value is always greater than unity. The point of maximum demands (or the time at which the maximum demand occur) for the domestic loads varies widely. They also differ from the industrial and commercial loads leading to the diversification of loads. The following factors can be considered how to attain high diversity factor.

Attaining High diversity:

• Adopting different time zones will change the timings of work activities and by this we obtain various less peak demands for different time zones, instead of a single large peak demand.
• Giving incentives and encouraging some sectors to use electricity at the light load periods.
• Adopting two part tariff in which the consumer is charged for the maximum demand and for units of energy consumed.