How much power is that?
Generation is quoted in megawatts and consumption in kilowatt-hours, which makes them hard to compare. Both are here on one power scale.
33% of a wind turbine
1,000 kW is more than 2 of the 9 references on this page.
Reference figures are measurements and are rounded; the unit conversion behind them is exact.
| Reference | Size | Yours ÷ theirs | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| home solar array | 4 kW | 250× | 4 kW peak |
| rapid EV charger | 150 kW | 6.67× | |
| wind turbine | 3,000 kW | 0.333× | |
| offshore wind turbine | 15,000 kW | 1/15 | |
| gas peaking plant | 100,000 kW | 1/100 | |
| nuclear reactor | 1,000,000 kW | 1/1,000 | |
| Hoover Dam | 2,080,000 kW | 1/2,080 | |
| Three Gorges Dam | 22,500,000 kW | 1/22,500 | |
| UK electricity demand | 35,000,000 kW | 1/35,000 | Average |
Worth knowing
- A single modern offshore wind turbine is rated at 15 MW — enough for about 18 000 UK homes, if the wind blew constantly.
- Capacity factor is what the headline number hides: nuclear runs at about 90% of rated output, offshore wind about 45%, solar in the UK about 11%.
Frequently asked
How many homes does a wind turbine power?
A 3 MW onshore turbine at 30% capacity factor produces about 7 900 MWh a year, which covers roughly 2 800 UK homes at 2.7 MWh each.
What is a capacity factor?
The fraction of a plant’s rated output it actually delivers over a year. It is the single number that makes generation types comparable, and it is usually left out.