nettovoima

Nettovoima is the net power output of a device or system after subtracting internal losses and auxiliary consumption. The term is used in energy production, mechanical engineering and related fields to express the usable power that can be delivered to a load or to the electricity grid. It is most commonly applied to electrical generators and power plants in Finnish energy reporting.

For electrical generation, nettovoima equals the gross electrical output minus the plant’s auxiliary power consumption, which covers energy used by pumps, fans, cooling systems, control systems and other internal equipment. In practice, the exact definition can vary, as some analyses also consider certain internal losses such as transformer or conversion losses separately. What is generally important is that nettovoima reflects the power available after the plant’s own operating needs are met, before transmission losses to the grid.

Nettovoima is different from gross output, which is the total generated power without subtracting internal consumption. It is also related but distinct from grid or transmission losses, which occur after the plant boundary and are not typically counted in the plant’s nettovoima. The concept is commonly used when assessing plant performance, capacity, and efficiency, and is often reported as a plant’s net capacity or net electrical output.

Over time, nettovoima can be expressed as a rate (megawatts) or as energy over a period (megawatt-hours) for reporting annual production. Auxiliary consumption and related losses influence the comparison of different plants and technologies, as they affect the net power available for customers.