How Much Money Does A Wind Turbine Make A Year

According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, the average U.S. home uses 867 kilowatt-hours (kWh) per month. The mean turbine capacity in the U.S. Wind Turbine Database (USWTDB) is 1.67 megawatts (MW). At a 33% capacity factor, that average turbine would generate over 402,000 kWh per month - enough for over 460 average U.S. homes. To put it another way, the average wind turbine generates enough energy in 94 minutes to power an average U.S. home for one month.

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Wind turbines at Ponnequin Wind Facility, Colorado

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Image: Sandhill Cranes Near Wind Turbines

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Sandhill Cranes Near Wind Turbines

Sandhill Cranes fly in close proximity to wind turbines near Horicon National Wildlife Refuge in east-central Wisconsin, but to date no crane mortality has been associated with turbines in this area.

Wind Turbine Blade

This photo shows one of the three 135-ft blades of a turbine before installation. Although the blades of wind turbines appear to move quite slowly to the human eye, blade tips often move at speeds faster than 100 mph.