Kilowatts and kilowatt-hours

It seems more often than not that when i read an article in a newspaper, the writers and editors confuse kilowatts for kilowatt-hours, or vice versa. I will keep a list here.

Winchester Among Mass. Towns Investing To Make Solar Energy Affordable

By Todd Gutner, WBZ-TV Chief Meteorologist

July 21, 2011 2:45 PM

http://boston.cbslocal.com/2011/07/21/winchester-among-mass-towns-investing-to-make-solar-energy-affordable/#.TinW2nTM3s0.twitter

"Several rebates and tax credits will lower upfront costs even more, and there’s a system that pays the homeowners for every 1000 kilowatts they produce."

Turning Warehouses into Solar Powerhouses

July 18, 2011

http://www.nrel.gov/features/20110718_energyexecs.html

"The projected energy generated from Project Amp after four years is approximately 733 megawatts (MW) of solar power, which is similar to the total amount of PV power installed in the entire U.S. in 2010."

I wrote to the author at NREL to clarify the press release if possible. In the above sentence, it looks like the author didn't want to use the proper word 'power' as the subject, since it is repeated at the end of the first clause, and that repetition would be stylistically awkward. However, it is improper to use energy as a synonym, and accuracy is more important than style in an informative article like this.

Clackamas Community College offers class on do-it-yourself wind turbines

Thursday, May 26, 2011

http://www.oregonlive.com/oregon-city/index.ssf/2011/05/clackamas_community_college_offers_class_on_do-it-yourself_wind_turbines.html

"Turbines constructed by students will generate approximately 8 kilowatts of power a day, which is 80 percent of the average amount to run an energy-efficient home, according to Abe Fouhy, one of the three co-instructors." Should have been "approximately an average of 8 kilowatt-hours of energy per day."