Energy output is commonly talked about in terms of megawatt-hours. We have previously talked about what a megawatt-hour is, but today we want to dive into the practical part: what can you do with one?
What can you do with a megawatt-hour of electricity?
In short, one megawatt hour can…
- Power the average American home for 1.2 months
- Drive an electric vehicle 3,600 miles
- Power two 60-watt lightbulbs non-stop for a year
- Smelt 137 pounds of aluminum
- Toast 89,000 slices of bread
- Run an average home pool pump for 5 months
- Run two modern refrigerators for a year
What can you do with a kilowatt hour of electricity?
Here is the same list for those of you that prefer measuring things in kilowatt hours. For a single kWh of electricity, you can…
- Power the average American home for 50 minutes
- Drive an electric car for 3.6 miles
- Power two 60-watt lightbulbs non-stop for 8.3 hours
- Smelt 2.2 ounces of aluminum
- Toast 89 slices of bread
- Run an average home pool pump for 2.8 hours
- Run a modern refrigerator for 20 hours
So, the next logical question is: how do you create a MWh of electricity? Check out our accompanying article, How much fossil fuel and renewables are needed to generate a megawatt hour of electricity?
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Sources
You can see all the sources and the math behind them here. But here are some of the most interesting:
- Wikipedia on the Tesla Model 3 and the Nissan Leaf
- US Energy Information Administration: How much electricity does an American home use?
- The EnergyStar product finder with electricity usage for every device in your life
10 Responses
What is the average cost per kW installed of a solar PV system in these United States?
This post really opened my eyes to the significance of a megawatt-hour! It’s fascinating to think about how that amount of energy can power so many homes or even charge electric vehicles. I never realized the potential impact on sustainability and energy efficiency. Thanks for sharing these insights!
This post really highlights the versatility of a megawatt-hour! It’s fascinating to see how much energy can impact various sectors, from powering homes to fueling electric vehicles. The examples you provided made the concept so much clearer. I never realized how many practical applications there are! Thanks for the insights!
This post really opened my eyes to the possibilities of a megawatt-hour! It’s fascinating to see how such a measurement of energy can power so many different things, from homes to electric vehicles. I never realized just how impactful harnessing and using energy efficiently could be. Thank you for sharing these insights!
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