A megawatt (MW) represents a unit of power equal to one million watts. To understand the capacity of this amount of power in residential terms, it is necessary to consider average household energy consumption. Factors such as home size, geographic location, and occupant behavior significantly influence electricity use. Therefore, a single value represents an estimation based on typical usage patterns.
Estimating the number of residences a megawatt can supply is crucial for energy planning, infrastructure development, and understanding the impact of renewable energy projects. Historically, power plants were designed with specific load factors in mind. These factors represent the proportion of time a power plant operates at its maximum capacity. Understanding residential power consumption patterns has become increasingly important with the rise of distributed generation and microgrids.