Nameplate Rating and Capacity Factor

Most articles list nameplate ratings. NYRI's nameplate is 1200 MW. Using the nameplate rating is misleading because different generators (and even transmission lines) don't operate at the nameplate rating for very long. To adjust nameplate (theoretical) ratings to actual real-life ratings, a capacity factor is used.

Wind turbines have a fairly low capacity factor because the wind isn't always blowing, the wind isn't blowing at a speed high enough to operate at maximum, or because the wind is blowing but the electricity isn't needed. According to this NYSERDA document, inland wind turbines have an effective capacity as low as 10% during the summer peak load period. Offshore turbines have a capacity factor of 40%.
http://www.nyserda.org/publications/wind_integration_report.pdf (page 7.15).

The capacity factor for the NYRI transmission line is 36% during peak demand hours (see page 2.5 of Appendix P of NYRI's 2006 PSC submittal----http://www.udpc.net/application/AppendixP.pdf This implies that over a year, the capacity factor would be even less than 36%.

The documents I've referenced have 2 authors that are common between the two reports.

I would estimate that people have about a 50% capacity factor. We're awake only 67% of the time. Of that 67% we're not always productive because we're watching tv, daydreaming, napping, etc.