How many average size homes can a 1 Megawatt generator power?

Answer 1

It would run 200 - 300 average US homes, but less than 200 in the summer with A/C going.
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Answer 2

In areas with gas heat in southern Connecticut, we assumed 5kW per residence unit, so that would be 200. But district managers for power companies know their customers, and this figure would change depending on the area.

The trick is to understand the load diversity factor for appliances and lighting, which assumes, for example, that everyone will not be using their electric dryer at the same instant. These figures are always subject to a good deal of discussion, which is why it's a good idea for power companies to hang onto their best people for a long time.

Answer 3

Mohammed is correct. The average usage rate is 1000 watts, which is 1kw. In a day that is 24kw-hr. kW is already a rate, so "megawatts daily" makes no sense.

Answer 4

Tough call as it depends on the stuff your trying to power. Everything has its Wattage requirements. I would say 20 would be pretty easy and maybe 30+ if you can shed some excess unneeded wattage requirements.

for example, a/c is huge.

The tough part will be connecting houses together and isolating unneeded wattage users (ie. don't use a toaster).