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Capacity Factor

Performance Measure

The ratio of the electricity a plant actually generates over a period to what it would generate running at full power the whole time. Nuclear plants commonly exceed ninety percent, onshore wind runs near a third, and solar farms lower still, which is why comparing power stations by nameplate capacity alone misleads.

Facts
Concept Domain
Power system economics 1
Connections

Associated With

Source United States Energy Information Administration Official Site
Kilowatthour, Concepts
Sources
1. United States Energy Information Administration Official Site
US Energy Information Administration
  • Glossary entry: Capacity factor
    The ratio of the electrical energy produced by a generating unit for the period of time considered to the electrical energy that could have been produced at continuous full power operation during the same period.
  • Associated With: Electrical Grid
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