WIND GETS BETTER, CHEAPER

Wind Turbine Net Capacity Factor — 50% the New Normal?

Zachary Shahan, July 27, 2012 (Clean Technica)

“…[C]lean energy haters love to…chant the now quite untrue claim that wind turbines have a capacity factor of 20-30%...[C]apacity factor…is how much electricity a power plant actually produces compared to how much it would produce if it operated at full nameplate capacity 100% of the time…

“NREL’s new Transparent Cost Database shows…natural gas combustion turbines — Minimum: 10%; Median: 80%; Maximum: 93%...natural gas combined cycle — Minimum: 40%; Median: 84.6%; Maximum: 93%...coal, pulverized & scrubbed — Minimum: 80%; Median: 84.6%; Maximum: 93%...nuclear — Minimum: 85%; Median: 90%; Maximum: 90.24%...biopower — Minimum: 75%; Median: 84%; Maximum: 85%...hydropower — Minimum: 35%; Median: 50%; Maximum: 93.2%...enhanced geothermal — Minimum: 80%; Median: 90%; Maximum: 95%...solar PV – Minimum: 16%; Median: 21%; Maximum: 28%...offshore wind – Minimum: 27%; Median: 43%; Maximum: 54%...onshore wind – Minimum: 24%; Median: 40.35%; Maximum: 50.6%...”

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“…Clean energy haters love to talk about capacity factor because it’s clearly a metric wind, solar, and hydro don’t win at (though, geothermal and biopower actually do very well)…[but levelized cost of energy (LCOE) is one of the most important metrics…[It] is ‘an estimate of total electricity cost including payback of initial investment and operating costs’…Capacity factor plays a role in LCOE, of course, but so does free fuel…

“…[O]nshore wind energy has a median [LCOE] of $0.05/kWh…[It is] essentially the cheapest option for new electricity…even with NREL’s median capacity factor of 40.35%...The technology is still improving, becoming more and more efficient…[T]here has been what is essentially a breakthrough in net capacity factor of various turbines in just the last 2 years…[M]achines like the GE 100-1.6MW and the V100-1.8MW and V112-3.0MW…. can often hit 50% capacity factor onshore…[and] LCOE has declined by 33-45% in the past 3 years…”

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