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To convert from Gigawatt (GW) to Watt (W), use the following formula:
To convert from Gigawatt (GW) to Milliwatt (mW), use the following formula:
To convert from Gigawatt (GW) to Kilowatt (kW), use the following formula:
To convert from Gigawatt (GW) to Megawatt (MW), use the following formula:
To convert from Gigawatt (GW) to Horsepower (metric) (PS), use the following formula:
To convert from Gigawatt (GW) to British thermal unit per second (Btu/s), use the following formula:
With is the ratio between the base units Foot-pound per second (ft-lb/s) and Watt (W).
To convert from Gigawatt (GW) to Foot-pound per second (ft-lb/s), use the following formula:
With is the ratio between the base units Foot-pound per second (ft-lb/s) and Watt (W).
To convert from Gigawatt (GW) to Horsepower (British) (hp), use the following formula:
With is the ratio between the base units Foot-pound per second (ft-lb/s) and Watt (W).
A Gigawatt (GW) is a unit of power equal to one billion watts ( W) or 1,000 megawatts.
It represents a significant amount of energy. To visualize this scale, a single gigawatt is roughly the amount of power generated by one large nuclear power plant.
This level of power is sufficient to supply electricity to hundreds of thousands of homes simultaneously.
The gigawatt is a standard unit for measuring the output of large-scale power generation facilities and national energy grids.
The capacity of major power sources is typically measured in gigawatts, including:
For example, a major offshore wind farm can have a generating capacity of over 1 GW, highlighting its importance in renewable energy planning and infrastructure development.
The term "gigawatt" gained widespread recognition through the classic 1985 film Back to the Future.
The iconic line "1.21 gigawatts!," delivered by Dr. Emmett Brown, refers to the immense power needed for the DeLorean time machine.
While often mispronounced as "jigowatt" in the movie, this famous quote introduced a massive audience to this unit of electrical power, cementing its place in popular culture.