I'm an electrical engineer and an academic. A key part of communication is _knowing your audience_, and communicating what is appropriate for them. Your average

I'm an electrical engineer and an academic. A key part of communication is _knowing your audience_, and communicating what is appropriate for them. Your average reader doesn't need to know how many W this generates. While, yes, HN may appreciate knowing the expected power output, that's basically irrelevant for the average reader. This is from the BBC, not a scientific journal. While your average reader may know that their microwave is 800W, telling them "This turbine will generate <x> kW" doesn't mean anything. They _do_ have a home. If they don't _need_ to know/use Watts on a day to day basis, then the number is just going to be forgotten. However, they _might_ remember "a tidal turbine that can power thousands of homes". It would be lovely if everyone was scientifically literate, but people have other shit going on in their lives. On a pragmatic level, I'd rather society remember the abstract idea of 'how many homes' than _forget_ the precise '<x> megawatts'.