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Energy Resources Explorer

Compare energy sources across emissions, cost, land use, and reliability. Build custom electricity grid mixes to see weighted averages, or explore lifecycle CO₂ breakdowns for each source.

Lowest
W
Wind (Onshore)
→
Highest
C
Coal

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Comparison Summary

CO₂ Emissions (gCO₂/kWh)
Lowest Emitter
Wind (11 gCO₂/kWh)
Highest Emitter
Coal (820 gCO₂/kWh)
Best Capacity Factor
Nuclear (93%)
Lowest Cost
Wind/Solar ($37.5/MWh)

CO₂ Emissions by Source

Coal820.0 gNatural Gas490.0 gNuclear12.0 gHydro24.0 gWind (Onshore)11.0 gSolar PV45.0 gGeothermal38.0 gBiomass230.0 g

Reference Guide

Capacity Factor

The capacity factor measures how much energy a power plant actually produces compared to its maximum potential output over a given period.

CF=Actual Output (MWh)Nameplate Capacity×8760 hCF = \frac{\text{Actual Output (MWh)}}{\text{Nameplate Capacity} \times 8760\,\text{h}}

Nuclear plants typically achieve 93% capacity factor, while solar PV averages about 25% because it only generates during daylight hours.

Levelized Cost of Energy

LCOE represents the average cost per unit of electricity generated over the lifetime of a power plant, including capital, fuel, maintenance, and financing.

LCOE=∑t=1nIt+Mt+Ft(1+r)t∑t=1nEt(1+r)tLCOE = \frac{\sum_{t=1}^{n} \frac{I_t + M_t + F_t}{(1+r)^t}}{\sum_{t=1}^{n} \frac{E_t}{(1+r)^t}}

Wind and solar now have the lowest LCOE at $25-50/MWh, while coal ranges from $65-150/MWh. These figures do not include integration costs like storage.

Lifecycle CO₂ Emissions

Lifecycle emissions include all CO₂ released from construction, fuel supply, operation, and decommissioning of a power plant.

gCO2/kWh=Total lifecycle emissionsTotal lifetime generation\text{gCO}_2\text{/kWh} = \frac{\text{Total lifecycle emissions}}{\text{Total lifetime generation}}

Coal produces 820 gCO₂/kWh while wind onshore produces only 11 gCO₂/kWh, roughly 75 times less. Nuclear is similarly low at 12 gCO₂/kWh despite requiring uranium mining and enrichment.

Grid Mix Weighted Average

A grid's average carbon intensity is the generation-weighted average of each source's emissions intensity. Sources with higher capacity factors contribute more energy per unit of installed capacity.

gˉ=∑igi⋅Ei∑iEi\bar{g} = \frac{\sum_i g_i \cdot E_i}{\sum_i E_i}

France achieves roughly 56 gCO₂/kWh thanks to 70% nuclear power, while Germany's mix (with 26% coal) averages about 350 gCO₂/kWh.