Capacity factor

Capacity factor compares the energy a PV plant actually delivers over one year with the energy it would have delivered running at nominal power for the whole year. To calculate it, divide the annual energy generated in kWh by 8760 hours times the installed capacity in kWp. It is usually given as a percentage. A fixed-tilt plant in southern Spain typically comes in around 16%, so a 5 MWp plant there produces about as much energy as a 0.8 MW plant running continuously. Plants in India on a reliable grid are expected to reach a similar capacity factor.