Methodology & calculation rules
Every material assumption used by the interactive tools is documented here so the result can be reproduced independently.
Reactor data rules
We prefer vendor, operator, regulator, government or established nuclear-industry sources. A design specification and a programme milestone are stored separately. A test, licence application, selection or construction start is never labelled as commercial operation.
Power requirement planner
Required nameplate MW = continuous load × (1 + reserve margin) ÷ planning capacity factor. Units are then rounded up for each design. The model intentionally stops before engineering decisions: it does not simulate N-1 reliability, outage schedules, transmission, local grid codes, siting, cooling, fuel availability, licensing or economics.
Annual output
MWh/year = MWe × 8,760 × capacity factor. Household equivalents divide annual MWh by an editable household kWh/year benchmark. They are energy equivalents, not a claim that a plant “powers” a fixed number of homes at every instant.
U-235 fission energy
The idealized calculator converts U-235 mass to atoms using molar mass and Avogadro’s constant, multiplies by approximately 200 MeV per fission, then applies the user-entered fissioned fraction and thermal-to-electric efficiency. It is not a commercial fuel-burnup calculation.
Radiation perspective
The dose tool is a unit-and-scale calculator. Medical and background reference values are approximate context only and can vary substantially. It must not be used for diagnosis, dose reconstruction or safety decisions.
Freshness
Each reactor page displays its verification date and source. Programme status is inherently time-sensitive; the linked authoritative source should be checked for changes after the snapshot date.
Data snapshot verified against primary or authoritative sources: 21 September 2026. Reactor programmes and deployment schedules can change.