lowerheatrate
Lower heat rate is a term used in the energy industry to describe the efficiency of a thermal power plant or fleet of plants. It refers to the amount of heat input required to generate one unit of electrical energy, typically measured as heat input per kilowatt-hour of electricity produced. Lower values indicate higher efficiency because less fuel heat is needed to produce the same amount of electricity.
The heat rate is usually expressed in units such as Btu per kilowatt-hour (Btu/kWh) or megajoules per
Significance and implications: A lower heat rate means more efficient conversion of fuel into electricity, which
Factors and approaches: To lower heat rate, plants may adopt combined-cycle configurations, upgrade turbines and condensers,
Note: In medicine, “lower heart rate” is a different concept (bradycardia) and unrelated to the energy-focused