Terry Blanton <hohlr...@gmail.com> wrote: > Close to 29% I guess. > > Optimistic: > > "The Dutch national wind capacity factor is a dismal 0.186. The German > wind capacity factor “is even more dismal at 0.167,” the article > said." >
This is not optimistic or pessimistic. This is actual performance data from the EIA. The number of turbines installed is known with precision, and I think the power companies keep track of electricity with precision, so this is actual average performance for the U.S. U.S. wind resources are better than European onshore ones. Turbines are only put in places with a lot of wind, and the U.S. has many prime locations still untapped. Opponents of wind have long held that actual performance is well below the nominal 1/3rd estimate that wind advocates use. This data shows performance really is about that good. Assuming the IEA data is good. It comes from power company sources. They have no reason to lie about it. - Jed
