How do I convert GW to MW or kW?

Formula : MW = GW × 1,000 kW = GW × 1,000,000 W = GW × 1,000,000,000 Examples : 1 GW = 1,000 MW = 1,000,000 kW 2.5 GW = 2,500 MW = 2,500,000 kW 0.5 GW = 500 MW = 500,000 kW GW to MW converter → GW to kW converter →

How much power is 1.21 gigawatts?

Reference : "Back to the Future" flux capacitor requirement 1.21 GW = 1,210 MW = 1,210,000 kW Equivalent to : ~1 nuclear reactor at full output ~600 large wind turbines (2 MW each) ~400,000 US homes' average consumption ~1,620,000 horsepower Lightning bolt peak: ~1 TW (1,000 GW) for microseconds, but 1.21 GW sustained is massive Reality : No practical way to extract 1.21 GW from a lightning bolt (too brief, unpredictable)

How many homes can 1 GW power?

Average US home : ~1.2 kW average draw (30 kWh/day ÷ 24 hours) 1 GW = 1,000,000 kW Calculation : 1,000,000 kW ÷ 1.2 kW/home ≈ 833,000 homes Regional variations : Southwest US (high AC use): ~600,000 homes per GW Northeast US : ~700,000-800,000 homes per GW Pacific Northwest : ~900,000-1,000,000 homes per GW Peak vs average : During peak demand (hot summer afternoon), 1 GW powers fewer homes (~300,000-500,000).

What is the world's largest power plant?

Three Gorges Dam (China) : 22.5 GW capacity Type : Hydroelectric Turbines : 34 generators Annual generation : ~100 TWh/year Location : Yangtze River Other massive plants : Itaipu Dam (Brazil/Paraguay): 14 GW Xiluodu Dam (China): 13.86 GW Belo Monte Dam (Brazil): 11.23 GW Guri Dam (Venezuela): 10.2 GW Largest nuclear (single site): Kashiwazaki-Kariwa (Japan): 7.97 GW (7 reactors)

How do countries measure their energy capacity?

Installed capacity : Total GW of all power plants (nameplate rating) Actual generation : Lower than capacity due to: Capacity factor : % of time at full output Maintenance downtime Fuel availability Grid demand Example - US (2024) : Installed capacity : ~1,200 GW Peak demand : ~740 GW (summer) Average demand : ~450 GW Capacity factor by source : Nuclear: 90-95% (runs constantly) Coal: 40-60% Natural gas: 30-60% Wind: 25-45% Solar: 15-30%

Gigawatt (GW) - Unit Information & Conversion

Symbol:GW

Plural:gigawatts

Category:Power

🔄 Quick Convert Gigawatt

See all Power conversions →

What is a Gigawatt?

Gigawatt (GW) = 1 billion watts = 1,000 MW = 1,000,000 kW. Used for large power plants, national grid capacity, massive energy infrastructure. Nuclear plant: 1-1.6 GW typical. Hoover Dam: 2.08 GW capacity.

History of the Gigawatt

SI metric prefix giga (10⁹) applied to watt. Standard unit for utility-scale power generation since mid-20th century. Critical for energy policy, grid planning, national power capacity measurements.

Quick Answer

What is a Gigawatt? A gigawatt (GW) = 1 billion watts = 1,000 megawatts. Used for measuring large power plants and national electricity grids. Nuclear reactor: ~1 GW. Large coal plant: 2-3 GW. Entire city power: 1-5 GW. Use our power converter for conversions.

Definition

1 GW = 1,000,000,000 W = 1,000 MW = 1,000,000 kW = 1,341,022 hp = 3.412 billion BTU/h

Common Uses

Power Plants: Nuclear reactors, coal plants, large hydro dams (1-3 GW each). National Grids: Total generation capacity for countries/regions. Energy Policy: Renewable energy targets, grid expansion planning. Data Centers: Massive hyperscale facilities (approaching 1 GW).

Real-World Examples

Power Plant Capacity

Nuclear reactor: 1-1.6 GW (typical single reactor)
Three Gorges Dam: 22.5 GW (world's largest, 34 turbines)
Large coal plant: 2-4 GW (multiple units)
Hoover Dam: 2.08 GW capacity
Large gas plant: 1-2 GW (combined cycle)
Offshore wind farm: 0.5-1.2 GW (large installations)

National/Regional Power

New York City peak demand: ~11-13 GW
California total capacity: ~80 GW
Texas grid (ERCOT): ~85 GW capacity
UK total capacity: ~76 GW
Germany total capacity: ~218 GW
Small country: 2-10 GW total

Renewable Energy Projects

Large solar farm: 0.5-2 GW (desert installations)
Offshore wind farm: 0.4-1.4 GW (modern large-scale)
Onshore wind farm: 0.2-1 GW (very large)
Pumped hydro storage: 1-3 GW (large facilities)

Future/Planned Mega Projects

Large battery storage: 0.3-1 GW (emerging)
Fusion reactor (planned): 0.5-2 GW (experimental)
Space solar power (concept): 1-5 GW (theoretical)

Gigawatt Conversion Formulas

To Watt:

1 GW = 1000000000 W

Example: 5 gigawatts = 5000000000 watts

To Milliwatt:

1 GW = 1000000000000 mW

Example: 5 gigawatts = 5000000000000 milliwatts

To Kilowatt:

1 GW = 1000000 kW

Example: 5 gigawatts = 5000000 kilowatts

To Megawatt:

1 GW = 1000 MW

Example: 5 gigawatts = 5000 megawatts

To Horsepower:

1 GW = 1341022.089595 hp

Example: 5 gigawatts = 6705110.447975 horsepower

To Metric Horsepower:

1 GW = 1359621.617304 PS

Example: 5 gigawatts = 6798108.08652 PS

To Electric Horsepower:

1 GW = 1340482.573727 hp(E)

Example: 5 gigawatts = 6702412.868633 hp(E)

To BTU per Hour:

1 GW = 3412141633.128201 BTU/h

Example: 5 gigawatts = 17060708165.641003 BTU/h

To BTU per Minute:

1 GW = 56869027.218799 BTU/min

Example: 5 gigawatts = 284345136.093997 BTU/min

To BTU per Second:

1 GW = 947817.120313 BTU/s

Example: 5 gigawatts = 4739085.601567 BTU/s

To Foot-pound per Second:

1 GW = 737562149.277266 ft⋅lb/s

Example: 5 gigawatts = 3687810746.386328 ft⋅lb/s

To Foot-pound per Minute:

1 GW = 44253728956.637764 ft⋅lb/min

Example: 5 gigawatts = 221268644783.1888 ft⋅lb/min

To Calorie per Second:

1 GW = 239005736.137667 cal/s

Example: 5 gigawatts = 1195028680.688336 cal/s

To Kilocalorie per Hour:

1 GW = 860420650.095619 kcal/h

Example: 5 gigawatts = 4302103250.478093 kcal/h

To Ton of Refrigeration:

1 GW = 284345.107154 TR

Example: 5 gigawatts = 1421725.535772 TR

To Erg per Second:

1 GW = N/A erg/s

Example: 5 gigawatts = N/A erg/s

To Joule per Second:

1 GW = 1000000000 J/s

Example: 5 gigawatts = 5000000000 J/s

Frequently Asked Questions

Formula:

MW = GW × 1,000
kW = GW × 1,000,000
W = GW × 1,000,000,000 Examples:
1 GW = 1,000 MW = 1,000,000 kW
2.5 GW = 2,500 MW = 2,500,000 kW
0.5 GW = 500 MW = 500,000 kW GW to MW converter → GW to kW converter →

Convert Gigawatt

Need to convert Gigawatt to other power units? Use our conversion tool.

Go to Power Converter Convert from Gigawatt