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Single conversion
To convert from Gigawatt (GW) to Megawatt (MW), use the following formula:
Let's convert 5 Gigawatt (GW) to Megawatt (MW).
Using the formula:
Therefore, 5 Gigawatt (GW) is equal to Megawatt (MW).
Here are some quick reference conversions from Gigawatt (GW) to Megawatt (MW):
| Gigawatts | Megawatts |
|---|---|
| 0.000001 GW | MW |
| 0.001 GW | MW |
| 0.1 GW | MW |
| 1 GW | MW |
| 2 GW | MW |
| 3 GW | MW |
| 4 GW | MW |
| 5 GW | MW |
| 6 GW | MW |
| 7 GW | MW |
| 8 GW | MW |
| 9 GW | MW |
| 10 GW | MW |
| 20 GW | MW |
| 30 GW | MW |
| 40 GW | MW |
| 50 GW | MW |
| 100 GW | MW |
| 1000 GW | MW |
| 10000 GW | MW |
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.
A megawatt (MW) is a unit used to measure power.
It's equal to one million watts.
To put it simply, it's a way to describe a huge amount of electricity being used or generated at a single moment.
One megawatt (1 MW) can power between 750 and 1,000 homes at any given moment.
This number can change depending on what's running in each home (like air conditioning on a hot day).
It's a helpful estimate used by grid operators to understand how much electricity a community needs.
It's easy to mix up megawatts (MW) and megawatt-hours (MWh). Here's a simple way to understand the difference between MW vs. MWh:
So, a power plant has a capacity measured in MW (how much electricity it can make at once).
In contrast, your electricity bill shows your consumption in MWh (how much you actually used over a month).
A megawatt is a tremendous amount of power. To understand its scale, here's a look at the capacity of different power sources: