DCTI - Windenergy V.2

25© DCTI 2009 | Volume 2 - Wind Energy In monetary terms, this accounts for an investment volume of more than 25 billion Euros. These plans are becoming increasingly concrete, as the European wind market is expected to grow by more than 9,000 MW by 2010. If this is to be the case, investments should mount up to between ten and 16 billion Euros [EWEA: 2009e, P.286]. Key Facts and Figures • In the US, one MW can provide electricity for about 250 to 300 households on an average day [SECO: 2008]. In Europe, on the other hand, one MW is enough to provide for approximately 1,080 households on an average day [EWEA: 2009f.]. This large difference is due to higher energy consumption in the US, predominately a result of the widespread use of air conditioning and poor building insulation. • The world’s largest onshore wind park is currently the Roscoe Wind Farm in Roscoe, Texas, in which 627 wind turbines account for a total capacity of 781.5 MW [E.ON: 2009]. The world’s largest offshore wind park is located in Denmark, and is called the Horns Rev 2. The park is com- prised of 91 wind turbines, towering 115 meters over the North Sea. Horns Rev 2 covers an area of 35 square kilometers, and totals a capacity of 209 MW [Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Denmark: 2009]. CHAPTERIII