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Conversion Power Energy Hydroelectric Power Plant - Yield Factor

Calculator for the amount of energy that a hydroelectric power plant with a certain output generates on average over a year and for the yield factor. The output of such a power plant is the maximum output that the turbine or the entire number of turbines can generate. Of course, it does not always run at maximum output. The amount of energy generated per period of time changes constantly, so an average value must be used here. The ratio of energy per year and maximum output is referred to as the yield factor, especially in photovoltaics, but this term can of course also be used for hydroelectric power plants. The yield factor is a measure of how well the power plant does its job, the higher it is, the better. For photovoltaics in Central Europe, values ​​around 1000 are considered good, hydropower has higher values, because water flows around the clock and shading, for example from clouds, is irrelevant here. The energy generated changes primarily due to the different water levels, the more water flows, the more energy can theoretically be generated, but in practice flooding can have a negative effect. When there is a drought and therefore low water level, less energy is generated, so photovoltaic systems are a good addition to hydropower, as the sun of course shines more in this time.
To calculate maximum power, energy per year or yield factor, please enter two of the three values ​​and select the appropriate units for the first two. The unit of the yield factor is watt hours divided by watts, which could be shortened to hours and would then give the number of hours that the hydropower plant runs at maximum output on average per year if it were to stand still for the other hours of the year.

Maximum power:		WkWMW
Energy per year:		WhkWhMWhGWh
Yield factor:		Wh/W

Example: the power plant at the Rottach reservoir (image above) in southern Germany has an installed capacity of 450 kilowatts. It generates 1.4 gigawatt hours of electricity per year. This results in a yield factor of 3111.

When it comes to the question of how economical a hydroelectric power plant is, the costs of building and operating the power plant must of course be taken into account in addition to the yield factor, as well as the expected revenue from the electricity generated.

Last updated on 01/23/2026. Author: Jürgen Kummer


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