Enter wind farm assumptions
Use the responsive calculator grid below. It shows three columns on large screens, two on tablets, and one on mobile.
Sample project assumptions and outputs
This example helps users verify units, assumptions, and expected output structure before entering their own wind farm data.
| Parameter | Example value | Unit |
|---|---|---|
| Number of turbines | 20 | count |
| Rated power per turbine | 3,200 | kW |
| Gross capacity factor | 38 | % |
| Availability | 96 | % |
| Wake loss | 8 | % |
| Electrical loss | 3 | % |
| Curtailment loss | 2 | % |
| Environmental loss | 4 | % |
| Other loss | 1 | % |
| Annual hours | 8,760 | hours |
| Installed capacity | 64.00 | MW |
| Gross annual generation | 213,043.20 | MWh |
| Net annual generation | 169,992.98 | MWh |
Engineering formulas behind the calculator
- Installed Capacity (kW) = Number of Turbines × Rated Power per Turbine.
- Gross Annual Energy (kWh) = Installed Capacity × Annual Hours × Gross Capacity Factor.
- Combined Operating Factor = Availability × (1 − Wake Loss) × (1 − Electrical Loss) × (1 − Curtailment Loss) × (1 − Environmental Loss) × (1 − Other Loss).
- Net Capacity Factor = Gross Capacity Factor × Combined Operating Factor.
- Net Annual Energy (kWh) = Installed Capacity × Annual Hours × Net Capacity Factor.
- Total Losses (kWh) = Gross Annual Energy − Net Annual Energy.
- Homes Powered = Net Annual Energy ÷ Household Use per Year.
- Carbon Offset (tonnes CO₂) = Net Annual Energy × Grid Emission Factor ÷ 1,000.
How to use this calculator
- Enter the total number of turbines in the proposed or existing wind farm.
- Provide the rated output of one turbine in kilowatts.
- Input the gross capacity factor expected from the site wind resource.
- Add availability and each loss category as percentages.
- Keep annual hours at 8,760 unless you are modeling a special year.
- Enter household demand and emission factor if you want impact estimates.
- Press Calculate Output to display results above the form.
- Download the result summary as CSV or PDF after calculation.
Interpretation notes
Frequently asked questions
1. What does gross capacity factor mean?
Gross capacity factor represents the share of maximum possible energy a wind farm could produce before downtime and plant losses are applied.
2. Why is availability separate from other losses?
Availability measures whether turbines are ready to run. Other losses describe what happens after turbines are available, such as wake effects, electrical losses, or curtailment.
3. How should I estimate wake loss?
Use layout studies, CFD modeling, or historical SCADA performance. Wake loss depends on turbine spacing, prevailing wind direction, turbulence intensity, and terrain.
4. Is annual hours always 8,760?
Most standard years use 8,760 hours. Leap years use 8,784 hours, and custom periods may require a different value.
5. Can this calculator replace a detailed energy yield assessment?
No. It is a planning and screening tool. Bankable studies still need measured wind data, micrositing, losses analysis, and uncertainty assessment.
6. What household consumption value should I enter?
Use the average annual electricity consumption for your target region. Higher household demand lowers the estimated number of homes powered.
7. What does the carbon offset output show?
It estimates avoided emissions by multiplying annual net generation by a chosen grid emission factor. It is a simplified displacement estimate.
8. Why are losses multiplied instead of added?
Sequential multiplication reflects how each loss applies to the remaining energy stream. This is usually more realistic than simple addition.