From Great Lakes Wiki
Q: How are electric generating systems rated, for power and energy production?
A: One measure of a wind generator’s capability is the nameplate capacity, which represents the power (in Watts) that can be produced when the wind is blowing strong. Modern utility-scale wind generators are typically capable of producing between 1 and 3 MW of electricity in high-speed, steady winds.
Small wind generators, meant for home, farm, or small business use, come in sizes anywhere from 1 or 2 kilowatts to a few hundred kilowatts.
What does MW mean? MW is short for megawatt, or one million Watts. One MW equals 1,000 kilowatts (kW). Electric power is measured in Watts and energy is measured in Watt-hours. Watts measure how much energy is produced at an instant in time. Watt-hours measure energy use over time. For example, a 100-Watt light bulb that burns for one hour consumes 100 Watt-hours of electricity (or, 1/10 kWh).
Another measure of wind generator productivity is on-peak capacity, which measures how many Watts a particular generator or group of generators is likely to be producing, or actually does produce, during times when the greatest demand for electric power exists. Preliminary estimates for Michigan put that figure in the range of about 12.5% of nameplate capacity.
A third important measure of wind generator pro-ductivity is the number of MW-hours (MWh) that are produced over time. That is often expressed as an annual capacity factor, representing the percentage of full output that a wind generator produces at a particular location over the course of a year.
Capacity factors vary depending on a variety of characteristics of both the specific wind generator and the wind resource at a specific location. Typical capacity factors for promising wind generator locations in Michigan are presently estimated to be in the range from 25 to 35%, with some of the best locations likely to reach 40% or more.
At the best wind sites in the Great Lakes, a wind generator would be expected to produce at least some useful energy almost every single day of the year, and at least some useful energy as much as 90% or more of the hours of a year.
