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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- FAQ
How many pounds of minerals are required by the average person in a year?
To maintain our standard of living, each person in the United States requires over 40,630 pounds of minerals each year:10, 765 pounds of stone7,254 pounds of sand and gravel685 pounds of cement148 pounds of clays383 pounds of salt275 pounds of iron ore168 pounds of phosphate rock35 pounds of soda ash34 pounds of aluminum12 pounds of copper11 pounds of lead6 pounds of zinc5 pounds of manganese25...
Can wind turbines harm wildlife?
A key challenge facing the wind industry is the potential for turbines to adversely affect wild animals both directly, via collisions, as well as indirectly due to noise pollution, habitat loss, and reduced survival or reproduction. Among the most impacted wildlife are birds and bats, which by eating destructive insects provide billions of dollars of economic benefits to the country’s agricultural...
How much oil does the Bakken Formation produce and how does this compare to what the United States uses?
The USGS does not maintain statistics on oil production or oil consumption. Production information can be obtained from publicly available sources like the North Dakota Department of Mineral Resources, and/or the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation. The U.S. Energy Information Administration provides information on oil consumption.According to those sources, In December of...
How much water is used by people in the United States?
Since 1950, the USGS has collected and analyzed water-use data for the United States and its Territories. That data is revised every 5 years.As of 2015, the United States uses 322 billion gallons of water per day (Bgal/day). The three largest water-use categories were irrigation (118 Bgal/day), thermoelectric power (133 Bgal/day), and public supply (39 Bgal/day), cumulatively accounting for 90...
How does the 2017 National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska assessment compare to the nation’s energy needs?
In the 2017 assessment, USGS estimates a mean of 8.7 billion barrels of recoverable oil. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, the United States consumed 7.5 billion barrels of petroleum products in 2018.Learn more: Alaska Petroleum SystemsU.S. Assessments of Undiscovered Oil and gas Resources
How many wind turbines are installed in the U.S. each year?
The number of turbines installed in the U.S. each year varies based on a number of factors, but on average 3,000 turbines have been built in the U.S. each year since 2005. Learn more:Wind EnergyU.S. Wind Turbine Database
What materials are used to make wind turbines?
According to a report from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, wind turbines are predominantly made of steel (71-79% of total turbine mass); fiberglass, resin or plastic (11-16%); iron or cast iron (5- 17%); copper (1%); and aluminum (0-2%).Many turbine components are domestically sourced and manufactured in the United States (Wind Technologies Market Report). Wind turbine towers are 65-85%...
Why is it important to know the locations of wind turbines?
No publicly-available, national database of wind turbines existed prior to the creation of the USGS Windfarm mapper, which was replaced with the U.S. Wind Turbine Database (USWTDB) in 2018. Knowing the location of individual turbines and their technical specifications creates new opportunities for research and improved siting and is important information for land and resource management. In...
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