Convert Power from Kilowatts to Megawatts (kW to MW)

Select a category and enter your values below

Single conversion

Kilowatt to Megawatt Conversion Formula

To convert from Kilowatt (kW) to Megawatt (MW), use the following formula:

Megawatt (MW)

= 1000 × 1106× Kilowatt (kW)

= 11000× Kilowatt (kW)

= 0.001× Kilowatt (kW)


Example

Let's convert 5 Kilowatt (kW) to Megawatt (MW).

Using the formula:

5 × 0.001 = 0.005

Therefore, 5 Kilowatt (kW) is equal to 0.005 Megawatt (MW).

How many kilowatts are in one megawatt? One Megawatt (MW) contains 1000 Kilowatts (kW) — the inverse of the factor above. Multiplying by 0.001 takes you from kilowatts to megawatts; multiplying by 1000 brings you back.

Put in words: one kilowatt equals 0.001 megawatts, so the kilowatt is the smaller unit of this pair. Converting between them never changes the amount of power being measured — only the size of the unit you count it in.

What is a Kilowatt (kW)?

A kilowatt (kW) is a standard unit used to measure power.

It's part of the metric system and is equal to exactly one thousand watts (1,000 W).

The prefix "kilo-" simply means one thousand, which makes converting between watts and kilowatts easy:

1 kilowatt (kW) = 1,000 watts (W)

You'll commonly see this unit on labels for engines, electric motors, and many household appliances to indicate their power consumption or output.


What's the Difference Between a Kilowatt (kW) and a Kilowatt-Hour (kWh)?

It's easy to mix these two up, but the distinction is crucial: they measure power versus energy.

  • A kilowatt (kW) is a unit of power. It tells you how much energy is being used at a single moment. Think of it as how fast water is flowing from a hose.
  • A kilowatt-hour (kWh) is a unit of energy. It measures the total amount of power consumed over a period of one hour. This is the total amount of water that has come out of the hose after an hour.

When you get your electricity bill, you are being charged for the total energy you used (the kilowatt-hours).

You are not charged for the peak power you demanded (the kilowatts).


What Are Some Common Examples of Kilowatt Power Ratings?

You can find kilowatt (kW) power ratings on many high-power devices in your home.

This rating indicates how much power a device requires to operate. Here are a few typical examples:

  • Electric Kettle: 1.5 kW to 3 kW
  • Electric Shower: 8 kW to 10.5 kW
  • Electric Vehicle (EV) Charger: 3 kW to over 22 kW

Key Takeaways

To summarize, just remember these key points:

  • Kilowatt (kW): A measure of power (how fast energy is used), equal to 1,000 watts.
  • Kilowatt-hour (kWh): A measure of energy (how much total energy was used over time).
  • Your Bill: You pay for the kilowatt-hours (kWh) of energy you consume.

What is a Megawatt (MW)?

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.


How Many Homes Can 1 MW Power?

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.


The Difference: Megawatt (MW) vs. Megawatt-hour (MWh)

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:

  • Megawatt (MW) measures power, or how fast energy is being used right now. Think of it as the speed of electricity.
  • Megawatt-hour (MWh) measures energy, or the total amount of electricity used over a period of time. This is the volume of electricity used.

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).


How Big is a Megawatt? Real-World Examples

A megawatt is a tremendous amount of power. To understand its scale, here's a look at the capacity of different power sources:

  • Onshore Wind Turbine: 2 to 5 MW
  • Utility-Scale Solar Farm: 50 to 500 MW
  • Modern Nuclear Power Plant: Over 1,000 MW (which is 1 gigawatt or GW)

Kilowatt to Megawatt Conversion Table

Here are some quick reference conversions from Kilowatt (kW) to Megawatt (MW):

KilowattsMegawatts
0.000001 kW10-9 MW
0.001 kW10-6 MW
0.1 kW10-4 MW
1 kW0.001 MW
2 kW0.002 MW
3 kW0.003 MW
4 kW0.004 MW
5 kW0.005 MW
6 kW0.006 MW
7 kW0.007 MW
8 kW0.008 MW
9 kW0.009 MW
10 kW0.01 MW
20 kW0.02 MW
30 kW0.03 MW
40 kW0.04 MW
50 kW0.05 MW
100 kW0.1 MW
1000 kW1 MW
10000 kW10 MW