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Capacity factor is actual generation divided by what the plant would produce running flat out for the whole period. Equivalent full-load hours is the same information expressed in hours. Dividing capacity factor by technical availability separates resource or dispatch limitation from plant reliability.
Capacity factor
CF % = actual generation x 100 / (capacity x period hours)
Full-load hours
Full-load hours = generation / capacity
Nuclear 85-93%, combined cycle gas 40-60% depending on dispatch, onshore wind 25-40%, offshore wind 40-55%, and solar photovoltaic 12-25% depending on latitude.
Not necessarily. For solar it reflects the resource, not a fault. For a dispatchable plant it reflects market position. Only compare capacity factors within the same technology.