The numbers given below are presented to quickly familiarize the reader with basic physical and economic parameters involved in utility scale wind farms. Actual numbers for real wind farms will vary slightly depending on manufacturer, installation details, and siting.

Typical rated output power per turbine: .6 - 1.5 megawatts

Capacity factor (percentage of time wind is blowing): 25-40%

Number of homes powered by a 1 megawatt turbine: 250-400

Total land per turbine: 2-7 acres (windy ridge), 50 acres (flat terrain)

Acres directly impacted per turbine: 2.5 acres (or 5% of total land use for flat terrain farms)

Total installed cost for 1 megawatt turbine: $1 million dollars ($750 k for the turbine purchase and installation, $250 k for roads, sheds, operation center, substation)

Total Electricity Output for a 1 megawatt turbine: 1 -1.5  Gigawatt-hours/yr (4-6 class winds)

Wholesale price of electricity: $.02-.06 /kwh, depending on turbine size, siting, number, and assuming a 20 year lifetime

Total annual sales for a 1 megawatt turbine at $.05 kwh: $50,000-$75,000

Annual Maintenance cost per turbine: $5,000-10,000

Annual rent to land owner per turbine: $2000-$5000 

Water requirements per turbine: 500 - 1000 gallons per year for cleaning rotors

Birds killed per turbine: 2.19 per year

Turbine hub height (1 megawatt): 60 meters

Rotor diameter (1 megawatt): 46 meters

Development time: 18 months (12 months planning, 6 months installing)

Sources:

• DOE Renewable Energy Technology Characterizations
• American Wind Energy Association FAQ