Okuzeka
Energy & Renewables vocabulary · Grid, Transmission and Distribution

Load

Meaning in energy & renewables, with examples

/loʊd/nounCore term

In energy & renewables, load means: The amount of electrical power that consumers or a device draw from the system at a given moment, or the equipment that uses that power.

In Turkish: yük

How it is used

Used constantly in grid and plant operation. System load rises in the evening; a plant runs at full load or part load. Engineers talk about the load profile, load curve and load forecast.

Example sentences

  1. System load peaked at 55 GW during the heatwave.

  2. The gas plant has been running at part load since the morning.

Common collocations

  • full load
  • part load
  • load profile
  • load forecast
  • system load
  • peak demandThe highest level of electricity demand in a given period, such as a day or a year, which the power system must be able to supply.
  • baseloadThe minimum level of electricity demand that continues day and night, and the power plants that run almost all the time to supply it.
  • load sheddingDeliberately cutting power to some areas or customers for a period, usually in rotation, to protect the grid when supply cannot meet demand.
  • demand responseChanging when or how much electricity consumers use in response to price signals or requests from the grid operator, for example reducing factory load during a peak.

This word in other fields

The same English word can have a different meaning in another field:

More terms: Grid, Transmission and Distribution

Practise with graded reading

Reading at the right level is the fastest way to make new words stick. Pick free English books by level: