Renewable Energy

Intermediate

Capacity Factor

Ratio of actual output to theoretical maximum.

Formula

CF = \frac{E_{actual}}{P_{rated} \times t}

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Variables

CFCapacity factor

E_{actual}Energy produced (kWh)

P_{rated}Rated power (kW)

tHours

Example

E=2.6 GWh, P=1 MW, t=8760 h: CF ≈ 0.30

Did You Know?

Offshore wind reaches capacity factors above 50%, while rooftop solar typically sits around 15–20%.

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