Steve Mills

Power plants which run predominantly during peak demand periods for electricity. Such plants exhibit the optimum balance – for peaking duty – of relatively high variable cost (fuel and maintenance cost per unit of generation) relative to fixed cost per unit of energy produced (low capital cost per unit of…

Point of maximum electricity demand on the national system.

Charges which appear on bills to cover the costs of third parties involved in the energy supply chain to deliver power.

A gas turbine generating unit where the exhaust gases from the turbine are not employed to generate additional power by means of a steam turbine – as they would be in a Combined Cycle Gas Turbine.

An energy storage medium used predominantly to retain the thermal energy collected by a solar tower or solar trough of a concentrating solar power plant, so that this energy can be used at a later time to generate electricity.

For distributed renewable energy systems for energy access, a mini-grid/micro-grid typically refers to an independent grid network operating on a scale of less than 10 MW (with most at very small scale) which distributes electricity to a limited number of customers. Mini-/micro-grids also can refer to much larger networks (e.g.,…

Nameplate capacity, also known as the rated capacity, nominal capacity, installed capacity, or maximum effect, is the intended full-load sustained output of a facility such as a power plant, electric generator, a chemical plant, fuel plant, metal refinery, mine, and many others. Nameplate capacity is the number registered with authorities…

A model in which a private company or non-governmental organisation is selected through a competitive process and given the exclusive obligation to provide energy services to customers in its service territory, upon customer request. The concession approach allows concessionaires to select the most appropriate and cost-effective technology for a given…

The amount of electric power delivered or required at any specific point or points on an electrical system. The requirement originates at the energy-consuming equipment of the customer. Load Factor measures the relationship between unit consumption and maximum demand and is the percentage capacity utilisation figure of a site's power consumption.…

The cost per unit of energy from an energy generating asset which is based on the present value of its total construction and lifetime operating costs, divided by total energy output expected from that asset over its lifetime. Levelised cost of energy is a commonly used measure of the cost…