What is capacity factor

The average capacity factor for wind hides the huge variability of output. Twice, I've analyzed the output of the wind farms feeding the Bonneville Power Authority, once for 6 months of data and again using a year of data. This is possible because the BPA collects data in 5 minute increments AND it is available for anyone to download and analyze. In the BPA's situation, the standard deviation was greater than the average!

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Activity 1 What would be the annual capacity factor of a 1 MW plant running constantly at a full rated capacity for one year? Activity 2 A 1 MW wind turbine generated MWh last year, so what would its annual capacity factor be? Previous 2. Next 3 Renewable energy from the Sun. Take your learning further Making the decision to study can be a big step, which is why you'll want a trusted University.

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Capacity factor indicates the extent of the use of the generating station. It is also expressed regarding peak load and load factor. The power plant always has some reserve capacity for the future expansion like an increase in load and maintenance.

It basically measures how often a plant is running at maximum power. Power plants have a capacity to produce a certain amount of power during a given time, but if they are taken offline i. One term commonly thrown around is generation capacity. So what does it mean and how does it work? The Watts Bar nuclear power plant in Tennessee.