tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11679714.post4459778589996712024..comments2024-03-28T03:32:41.433-04:00Comments on Half an Hour: Simplicity and StandardsStephen Downeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06140591903467372209noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11679714.post-79345069093321739882007-02-08T10:40:00.000-05:002007-02-08T10:40:00.000-05:00Some of your terminology is confusing."Watts" meas...Some of your terminology is confusing.<BR/><BR/>"Watts" measure *power* or the *rate* of energy transfer (or rate of work).<BR/><BR/>"Joules" measure energy.<BR/><BR/>So it *is* correct to say the Three Gorges Dam has an output capacity of *18 gigawatts*. So, (running at full-capacity), in 1hr it would produce 18 gigawatt-hours of energy, in 1yr it would output 18 gigawatt-years.<BR/><BR/>One comprehensible comparison might be "the dam could light 180million 100-watt light bulbs".<BR/><BR/>Another might be "in 1hr, the dam generates as much energy as 500k gallons of gas". (actually 486,486 if you <A HREF="http://www.lifeaftertheoilcrash.net/Research.html" REL="nofollow">use</A> 37kwh/gallon).<BR/><BR/><A HREF="http://webseitz.fluxent.com/wiki/EnergyAccounting" REL="nofollow">http://webseitz.fluxent.com/wiki/EnergyAccounting</A>BillSeitzhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14450647519294848397noreply@blogger.com