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.
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Source United States Energy Information Administration Official Site
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1. United States Energy Information Administration Official Site
US Energy Information AdministrationGlossary 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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