I always see different information about how much electricity wind turbines can generate. Some sources say they're not very efficient, and then others say they are. So how many houses can a wind turbine power?
Reviewed by Shannon Martin, Licensed Insurance Agent.
It’s true—there’s a lot of conflicting information about wind turbines out there. How many houses a wind turbine can power will depend on the wind turbine size and how much power the homes in question are using. Based on recent data, you could expect an average wind turbine to power over 940 homes per month in the United States.
According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), the average home in the United States uses about 893 kilowatt hours (kWh) in a given month, but usage can vary widely from state to state.
Per the United States Geological Survey (USGS), wind turbines operated at an average 42% capacity factor in 2020, reaching an average of more than 843,000 kWh per month.
Based on that average usage and capacity factor, an average wind turbine could power over 940 homes in a given month.
If you are considering investing in a wind turbine, don’t forget to add it to your
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