Power output of wind turbines
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Large wind turbines, usually used to provide electricity on a grid, can range from a power output of 100 kilowatts to a few megawatts. So depending on how many wind turbines are are on a wind farm, they can usually make enough power for tens of thousands of homes.
Small wind turbines, usually standalone ones near a home used for individual use, have a power output of about 100 kW. These are usually used if, say a house, can't hook up to the power grid. Wind turbines cannot be 100% efficient, usually they average is around 50% efficient and this is because a lot of the energy gets taken away from friction of the blades and rotor. So in the end, the amount of electricity produced can only be about 50% or less. Albert Betz created a theoretical equation that would give you the maximum power that could be obtained from the wind. It states that only 16/27 (59%) of the kinetic energy from the wind would be converted into electricity. The amount of electricity that a wind turbine generates is called a power rating. Wind turbines have a power rating ranging from 250 watts (charging a battery) to 10 kilowatts (powering a house) to 6 megawatts (which is enough to power around 1600 houses). |
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