Wind Generation Time Interval Exploration Tool

Capacity factor is the ratio of the energy produced to the amount of energy that could ideally have been produced in the same period using the rated nameplate capacity. Due to natural variations in wind speeds, higher factors tend to be seen over short time periods, with lower factors over longer periods. The capacity used is the reported nameplate capacity from the Quarterly Fuel and Energy Report, CEC-1304A.

CFs are based on wind plants in service in the wind generation areas. Renewable energy resources like wind facilities vary in size and geographic distribution within each state. Resource planning, land use constraints, climate zones, and weather patterns limit availability of these resources and where they can be developed.

National, state, and local policies also set limits on energy generation and use. An example of resource planning in California is the Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Plan . By exploring the visualization, a viewer can gain a three-dimensional understanding of temporal variation in generation CFs, along with how the wind generation areas compare to one another.

The viewer can observe that areas peak in generation in different periods. The large range in CFs is also visible.