A Watt (W) is the unit of power of equal to one joule of energy per second.
A human climbing stairs needs 200 watts of power. The best non-doping cyclists in history could deliver almost three times as much power:
| Miguel Indurain | Bernard Hinault | Eddy Merckx | Jaques Anquetil | |
| Tour de France Winning Years | 1991-95 | 1978-79,81-82,85 | 1969-72,74 | 1957,61-64 |
| RacingWeight (kg) | 79 | 68 | 75 | 68 |
| Height (cm) | 187 | 173 | 183 | 174 |
| Resting Heart Rate | 28 bpm | 38 bpm | 44 bpm | 45 bpm |
| Maximum Heart Rate | 195 bpm | 170 bpm | 162 bpm | 180 bpm |
| Lung Capacity | 7.8 litres | 7.2 litres | 6.9 litres | 6.9 litres |
| Power Output | 550 Watts | 450 Watts | 500 Watts | 400 Watts |
A car engine produces 25,000 watts (approximately 33.5 horsepower) while cruising.
The capacities of average nuclear power plants net summer range between about 500 and 1300 MW (106 W).
The largest offshore wind farm in Germany, Innogy Nordsee 1, will have a combined capacity of 960 MW (106 W) to be delivered by 150-180 wind turbines. Spain had an installed capacity of wind power of 16 GW (109 W) in 2008 (source: REE).