Scenario

The Homes For Everyone (HFE) Architectural Committee has just accepted your design for a "universal" dwelling to meet the growing housing shortage in many diverse areas of the world. The organization would now like you to develop an appliance package that would help meet the basic needs for healthy, enjoyable living for the families who will reside in the universal dwellings.
The source of electrical energy chosen for this particular project is a wind generator. The following is a description of the wind-generator system chosen for HFE. Try to get a sense of the meaning of unfamiliar words. When the chapter is completed, you will understand these terms.
The wind-generator system chosen for HFE is a highly reliable, mass-produced model that has an output of 2400 W (2.4 kW). Experience has shown that in areas having only moderate average wind speed (6 to 8 km/h) the generator system will deliver a monthly energy output of about 90 kWh (kiloWatt- hours) to the home, or about 3 kWh per day. Direct current (DC) from the wind-driven generator is stored in batteries that allow storage of electrical energy to keep the home going for four windless days. The batteries deliver DC electricity, but most home appliances are designed to use alternating current (AC).

An inverter changes the DC from the batteries into AC before it enters the home. A circuit breaker rated at 2400 W protects the batteries from overheating if too much energy is asked for at any single time. Finally, a kiloWatt-hour meter is provided to keep track of the amount of electrical energy that has been used. The result is that the dwelling will have the same kind of electricity delivered to it as do most homes in the U.S., but less electrical power and energy will be available than for the average homes in the U.S.