Menu
Home
People
Places
Arts
History
Plants & Animals
Science
Life & Culture
Technology
Reference.org
Nameplate capacity
open-in-new
<h2 id="power-stations">Power stations</h2> <h3>Dispatchable power</h3> <p>For <a href="/facts/Dispatchable_generation/CkT25V8c">dispatchable power</a>, this capacity depends on the internal technical capability of the plant to maintain output for a reasonable amount of time (for example, a day), neither momentarily nor permanently, and without considering external events such as lack of fuel or internal events such as maintenance.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:9" href="#fn:9"><sup>9</sup></a> Actual output can be different from nameplate capacity for a number of reasons depending on equipment and circumstances.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:10" href="#fn:10"><sup>10</sup></a><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:11" href="#fn:11"><sup>11</sup></a> </p> <h3>Non-dispatchable power</h3> <p>For <a href="/facts/Intermittent_energy_source/kynTl1t2">non-dispatchable power</a>, particularly <a href="/facts/Renewable_energy/6Bu6IrpF">renewable energy</a>, nameplate capacity refers to generation under ideal conditions. Output is generally limited by weather conditions, <a href="/facts/Hydroelectric_dam/zEeJIK2B">hydroelectric dam</a> water levels, <a href="/facts/Tide/zNstvWPv">tidal</a> variations and other outside forces. Equipment failures and maintenance usually contribute less to capacity factor reduction than the innate variation of the power source. In <a href="/facts/Photovoltaics/5Xefaayl">photovoltaics</a>, capacity is rated under <i>Standard Test Conditions</i> usually expressed as <a href="/facts/Watt-peak/tFTC5jCa">watt-peak</a> (Wp). In addition, a <a href="/facts/PV_system/rD4rcJB8">PV system</a>'s nameplate capacity is sometimes denoted by a subindex, for example, <a href="/facts/Watt-peak_AC/tFTC5jCa">MWDC or MWAC</a>, to identify the raw <a href="/facts/Direct_current/r9MNUx84">DC</a> power or converted <a href="/facts/Alternating_current/qxICS3xa">AC</a> power output. </p> <h3>Generator capacity</h3> <p>The term is connected with <a href="/facts/Rating_plate/Idkl9lp5">nameplates</a> on <a href="/facts/Electrical_generator/5sATsUGX">electrical generators</a> as these plates describing the model name and manufacturer usually also contain the rated output,<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:12" href="#fn:12"><sup>12</sup></a> but the rated output of a power station to the <a href="/facts/Electrical_grid/RkWPqjmG">electrical grid</a> is invariably less than the generator nameplate capacity, because the components connecting the actual generator to the grid also use power. Thus there is a distinction between component capacity and facility capacity. </p> <h2 id="see-also">See also</h2> <ul> <li>Energy portal</li></ul> <ul><li><a href="/facts/Availability_factor/2E0rrvl7">Availability factor</a></li> <li><a href="/facts/Declared_net_capacity/C1eRAAKX">Declared net capacity</a> (power plants)</li> <li><a href="/facts/Electricity_generation/Uo6mQQ1T">Electricity generation</a></li> <li><a href="/facts/Intermittent_power_source/kynTl1t2">Intermittent power source § Terminology</a></li> <li><a href="/facts/List_of_energy_storage_projects/nv3E4dgR">List of energy storage projects</a></li></ul> <h2 id="references">References</h2> <ol> <li id="fn:1"><p>Glossary of Terms in PRIS Reports. IAEA-PRIS <a href="https://pris.iaea.org/PRIS/Glossary.aspx" target="_blank">https://pris.iaea.org/PRIS/Glossary.aspx</a> <a href="#fnref:1" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:2"><p>Energy glossary Energy Information Administration. Retrieved: 23 September 2010. <a href="http://www.eia.doe.gov/glossary/index.cfm?id=G#gen_nameplate" target="_blank">http://www.eia.doe.gov/glossary/index.cfm?id=G#gen_nameplate</a> <a href="#fnref:2" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:3"><p>Glossary. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, 2 August 2010. Retrieved: 23 September 2010. <a href="https://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/basic-ref/glossary/generator-nameplate-capacity.html" target="_blank">https://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/basic-ref/glossary/generator-nameplate-capacity.html</a> <a href="#fnref:3" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:4"><p>Plant Performance Data (PPD) Archived 2010-09-10 at the Wayback Machine ICIS. Retrieved: 23 September 2010. <a href="http://www.icis.com/StaticPages/Plant_Performance_Data.htm" target="_blank">http://www.icis.com/StaticPages/Plant_Performance_Data.htm</a> <a href="#fnref:4" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:5"><p>The Future of Tantalum and Niobium Mining-Technology, 14 Jan 2010. Retrieved: 23 September 2010. <a href="https://www.mining-technology.com/features/feature74139/" target="_blank">https://www.mining-technology.com/features/feature74139/</a> <a href="#fnref:5" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:6"><p>Refining Capacity Alcoa, December 31, 2009. <a href="http://www.alcoa.com/alumina/en/info_page/refineries.asp" target="_blank">http://www.alcoa.com/alumina/en/info_page/refineries.asp</a> <a href="#fnref:6" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:7"><p>Refinery Economics Archived 2010-12-28 at the Wayback Machine Natural Resources Canada, 5 january 2009. <a href="http://nrcan.gc.ca/eneene/sources/petpet/refraf-eng.php" target="_blank">http://nrcan.gc.ca/eneene/sources/petpet/refraf-eng.php</a> <a href="#fnref:7" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:8"><p>Magnificent seven Archived 2008-09-05 at the Wayback Machine Arabian Business, 17 June 2008. <a href="http://www.arabianbusiness.com/522168-magnificent-seven" target="_blank">http://www.arabianbusiness.com/522168-magnificent-seven</a> <a href="#fnref:8" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:9"><p>Kleiser, Thomas. Response to CDM page 2-4 by TÜV, 4 March 2009. Retrieved: 23 September 2010. <a href="http://cdm.unfccc.int/Projects/DB/DNV-CUK1130160031.78/iProcess/TUEV-SUED1227777806.56/ReviewInitialComments/LI99J7QWQ8LUOWOBOK67F6CA1JEKFH" target="_blank">http://cdm.unfccc.int/Projects/DB/DNV-CUK1130160031.78/iProcess/TUEV-SUED1227777806.56/ReviewInitialComments/LI99J7QWQ8LUOWOBOK67F6CA1JEKFH</a> <a href="#fnref:9" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:10"><p>Kleiser, Thomas. Response to CDM page 2-4 by TÜV, 4 March 2009. Retrieved: 23 September 2010. <a href="http://cdm.unfccc.int/Projects/DB/DNV-CUK1130160031.78/iProcess/TUEV-SUED1227777806.56/ReviewInitialComments/LI99J7QWQ8LUOWOBOK67F6CA1JEKFH" target="_blank">http://cdm.unfccc.int/Projects/DB/DNV-CUK1130160031.78/iProcess/TUEV-SUED1227777806.56/ReviewInitialComments/LI99J7QWQ8LUOWOBOK67F6CA1JEKFH</a> <a href="#fnref:10" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:11"><p>Swain, Bibb. Designed to go above Nameplate Capacity Ethanol Producer, November 2006. Retrieved: 23 September 2010. <a href="http://www.ethanolproducer.com/article.jsp?article_id=2463" target="_blank">http://www.ethanolproducer.com/article.jsp?article_id=2463</a> <a href="#fnref:11" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:12"><p>Reitze, Arnold W. Air pollution control law: compliance and enforcement page 260 George Washington University Law School, 2001. ISBN 1-58576-027-7, ISBN 978-1-58576-027-5 Retrieved: 23 September 2010. <a href="https://books.google.com/books?id=M8w5yJbNTD0C&dq=%22Nameplate+capacity%22&pg=PA260" target="_blank">https://books.google.com/books?id=M8w5yJbNTD0C&dq=%22Nameplate+capacity%22&pg=PA260</a> <a href="#fnref:12" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> </ol>