What does the demand factor of a system refer to?

The demand factor of a system is defined as the ratio of the maximum demand to the total connected load. This metric is important in electrical systems because it offers insight into how much of the installed capacity is actually being utilized at peak times compared to what is available.

Understanding the demand factor can aid in efficient system design and load management. A demand factor less than one indicates that the actual maximum demand is lower than the total capacity that could be drawn from the system. Conversely, a demand factor greater than one would suggest that the system is designed with excess capacity relative to usage, which might not be economical.

In contrast, the total connected load refers to the sum of all loads that could potentially be used; the maximum demand reflects the greatest load experienced or anticipated in a specific timeframe; and average power usage indicates the typical consumption over a period, which does not capture peak usage, thus these concepts represent different aspects of overall system performance and usage but do not directly define the demand factor itself.