Capacity factor

Capacity factor is the ratio of a power plant’s actual energy production over a period to the energy it could produce at continuous full power during that period.

Nameplate capacity: The maximum output a facility is designed or rated to produce under specified conditions. It supplies the maximum-power denominator used to calculate capacity factor.
Wind power: Electricity generation that converts the kinetic energy of wind into electrical energy. Wind output varies with wind conditions, so its capacity factor is well below continuous full-power operation.
Thermal efficiency: The fraction of input thermal energy converted into useful output energy. Efficiency measures conversion losses, while capacity factor measures utilization over time.
Capacity market: An electricity market that pays resources for making capacity available to meet future demand. Capacity factor informs—but does not by itself determine—how much a generator contributes to system adequacy.
Energy: A conserved physical quantity that can be transferred or converted to perform work or produce heat. Capacity factor compares energy produced with energy possible over a time interval.
Solar power: Electricity generation that converts sunlight into electrical energy, usually through photovoltaic cells or concentrated solar heat. Night and changing sunlight limit the fraction of rated output produced across a year.
Utilization factor: A measure comparing actual use of equipment with its maximum possible use over a specified period. Its definitions vary by field, whereas power-plant capacity factor uses energy output and rated capability.
Merit order: The ranking of power plants for dispatch, typically from lowest to highest short-run marginal cost. Dispatch patterns influence actual output and therefore realized capacity factors.
Power (physics): The rate at which energy is transferred or converted. Power ratings become potential energy output when multiplied by elapsed time.
Nuclear power: Electricity generation using heat from controlled nuclear fission to drive turbines. Nuclear plants often run at high output for long periods, making capacity factor a common performance measure.

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