# Capacity factor

US EIA monthly capacity factors 2011-2013

The net capacity factor is the unitless ratio of an actual electrical energy output over a given period of time to the maximum possible electrical energy output over that period.[1] The capacity factor is defined for any electricity producing installation, such as a fuel consuming power plant or one using renewable energy, such as wind or the sun. The average capacity factor can also be defined for any class of such installations, and can be used to compare different types of electricity production.

The maximum possible energy output of a given installation assumes its continuous operation at full nameplate capacity over the relevant period. The actual energy output during that period and the capacity factor vary greatly depending on a range of factors. The capacity factor can never exceed the availability factor, or uptime during the period. Uptime can be reduced due to, for example, reliability issues and maintenance, scheduled or unscheduled. Other factors include the design of the installation, its location, the type of electricity production and with it either the fuel being used or, for renewable energy, the local weather conditions. Additionally, the capacity factor can be subject to regulatory constraints and market forces, potentially affecting both its fuel purchase and its electricity sale.

The capacity factor is often computed over a timescale of a year, averaging out most temporal fluctuations. However, it can be also computed for a month to gain insight into seasonal fluctuations. Alternatively, it be computed over the lifetime of the power source, both while operational and after decommissioning.

## Sample calculations

### Nuclear power plant

Worldwide Nuclear Power Capacity Factors

Nuclear power plants are at the high end of the range of capacity factors, ideally reduced only by the availability factor, i.e. maintenance and refueling. The largest nuclear plant in the US, Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station has between its three reactors a nameplate capacity of 3,942 MW. In 2010 its annual generation was 31,200,000 MWh,[2] leading to a capacity factor of:

${\displaystyle {\frac {31,200,000\ {\mbox{MW·h}}}{(365\ {\mbox{days}})\times (24\ {\mbox{hours/day}})\times (3942\ {\mbox{MW}})}}=0.904={90.4\%}}$

Each of Palo Verde’s three reactors is refueled every 18 months, with one refueling every spring and fall. In 2014, a refueling was completed in a record 28 days,[3] compared to the 35 days of downtime that the 2010 capacity factor corresponds to.

### Wind farm

The Danish offshore wind farm Horns Rev 2, the world's largest at its inauguration in 2009,[4] has a nameplate capacity of 209.3 MW. As of January 2017 it has produced 6416 GWh since its commissioning 7.3 years ago, i.e. an average annual production of 875 GWh/year and a capacity factor of:

${\displaystyle {\frac {875,000\ {\mbox{MW·h}}}{(365\ {\mbox{days}})\times (24\ {\mbox{hours/day}})\times (209.3\ {\mbox{MW}})}}=0.477=47.7\%}$[5]

Sites with lower capacity factors may be deemed feasible for wind farms, for example the onshore 1 GW Fosen Vind which as of 2017 is under construction in Norway has a projected capacity factor of 39%.

Certain onshore wind farms can reach capacity factors of over 60%, for example the 44 MW Eolo plant in Nicaragua had a net generation of 232.132 GWh in 2015, equivalent to a capacity factor of 60.2%,[6] while U.S. annual capacity factors from 2013 through 2016 range from 32.2% to 34.7%.[7]

Since the capacity factor of a wind turbine measures actual production relative to possible production, it is unrelated to Betz's coefficient of 16/27 ${\displaystyle \approx }$ 59.3%, which limits production vs. energy available in the wind.

### Hydroelectric dam

As of 2017 the Three Gorges Dam in China is, with its nameplate capacity of 22,500 MW, the largest power generating station in the world by installed capacity. In 2015 it generated 87 TWh, for a capacity factor of:

${\displaystyle {\frac {87,000,000\ {\mbox{MW·h}}}{(365\ {\mbox{days}})\times (24\ {\mbox{hours/day}})\times (22,500\ {\mbox{MW}})}}=0.45=45\%}$

Hoover Dam has a nameplate capacity of 2080 MW[8] and an annual generation averaging 4.2 TW·h.[8] (The annual generation has varied between a high of 10.348 TW·h in 1984, and a low of 2.648 TW·h in 1956.[8]). Taking the average figure for annual generation gives a capacity factor of:

${\displaystyle {\frac {4,200,000\ {\mbox{MW·h}}}{(365\ {\mbox{days}})\times (24\ {\mbox{hours/day}})\times (2,080\ {\mbox{MW}})}}=0.23=23\%}$

### Photovoltaic power station

At the low range of capacity factors is the photovoltaic power station, which supplies power to the electricity grid from a large-scale photovoltaic system (PV system). An inherent limit to its capacity factor comes from its requirement of daylight, preferably with a sun unobstructed by clouds, smoke or smog, shade from trees and building structures. Since the amount of sunlight varies both with the time of the day and the seasons of the year, the capacity factor is typically computed on an annual basis. The amount of available sunlight is mostly determined by the latitude of the installation and the local cloud cover. The actual production is also influenced by local factors such as dust and ambient temperature, which ideally should be low. As for any power station, the maximum possible power production is the nameplate capacity times the number of hours in a year, while the actual production is the amount of electricity delivered annually to the grid.

For example, Agua Caliente Solar Project, located in Arizona near the 33rd parallel and awarded for its excellence in renewable energy has a nameplate capacity of 290 MW and an actual average annual production of 740 GWh/year. Its capacity factor is thus:

${\displaystyle {\frac {740,000\ {\mbox{MW·h}}}{(365\ {\mbox{days}})\times (24\ {\mbox{hours/day}})\times (290\ {\mbox{MW}})}}=0.291=29.1\%}$.

A significantly lower capacity factor is achieved by Lauingen Energy Park located in Bavaria, near the 49th parallel. With a nameplate capacity of 25.7 MW and an actual average annual production of 26.98 GWh/year it has a capacity factor of 12.0%.

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