Capacity Factor

Capacity factor is the fraction of the time a plant actually delivers its rated power. Firm fusion targets a high one; D–T is dragged down by blanket downtime.

Definition

Actual output ÷ maximum possible output

Renewables

Weather-limited (solar ~25%, wind ~35%)

D–T penalty

Blanket changeouts → 0.71–0.75

Kronos target

High — firm, no breeding blanket

Capacity factor is the share of the year a plant actually produces power at its rated capacity. It is what separates a nameplate rating from real energy delivered: a 1 GW plant at 90% capacity factor delivers far more than a 1 GW plant at 30%. Intermittent renewables are inherently capped — solar around 25%, wind around 35% — because they depend on weather.

Firm fusion is designed to run near-continuously, but not all fusion is equal. A D–T plant's breeding-blanket changeouts drag its availability to roughly 0.71–0.75. Kronos MetroVolt, being low-neutron with no breeding blanket and a first wall that lasts the full plant life, targets a high capacity factor — the basis of its role as firm, dispatchable power.