The load factor is a measure of the average power consumed by a consumer relative to its maximum demand. It is calculated by dividing the total energy consumed by the consumer over a given period by the product of the maximum demand and the period of time.

In this case, the industrial consumer has three different load patterns throughout the day. Let's calculate the load factor step by step.

- Calculate the energy consumed for each load pattern:

For the first load pattern, the power is 2500 kW and it lasts for 8 hours. Therefore, the energy consumed is:

Energy1 = Power1 * Time1 = 2500 kW * 8 hours = 20,000 kWh

For the second load pattern, the power is 2000 kW and it also lasts for 8 hours. The energy consumed is:

Energy2 = Power2 * Time2 = 2000 kW * 8 hours = 16,000 kWh

For the third load pattern, the power is 1500 kW and it lasts for 8 hours. The energy consumed is:

Energy3 = Power3 * Time3 = 1500 kW * 8 hours = 12,000 kWh

- Calculate the total energy consumed:

TotalEnergy = Energy1 + Energy2 + Energy3 = 20,000 kWh + 16,000 kWh + 12,000 kWh = 48,000 kWh

- Calculate the maximum demand:

The maximum demand is the highest power among the load patterns, which is 2500 kW in this case.

- Calculate the load factor:

LoadFactor = TotalEnergy / (MaxDemand * TimePeriod)

TimePeriod is the total time over which the energy consumption is calculated, which is 24 hours in this case.

LoadFactor = 48,000 kWh / (2500 kW * 24 hours) = 0.8

Therefore, the load factor for this industrial consumer is 0.8.

This means that, on average, the consumer is using 80% of its maximum demand over a 24-hour period. A load factor of 1 would indicate that the consumer is using its maximum demand continuously, whereas a load factor of 0 would indicate no energy consumption at all.