Power plant efficiency

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The efficiency of a plant is the percentage of the total energy content of a power plant's fuel that is converted into electricity. The remaining energy is usually lost to the environment as heat unless it is used for district heating.

Rating efficiency is complicated by the fact that there are two different ways to measure the fuel energy input:^[1]

• LCV = Lower Calorific Value (same as NCV = Net Calorific Value) neglects thermal energy gained from exhaust H₂O condensation
• HCV = Higher Calorific Value (same as GCV, Gross Calorific Value) includes exhaust H₂O condensed to liquid water

Depending on which convention is used, a differences of 10% in the apparent efficiency of a gas fired plant can arise, so it is very important to know which convention, HCV or LCV (NCV or GCV) is being used.