Watts (W) and gigawatts (GW) are units of power, which measure the rate at which energy is consumed or produced, or the rate at which work is done. They are commonly used in the fields of physics, engineering, and energy.
A watt is the standard unit of power in the International System of Units (SI). It is defined as one joule of energy per second. In other words, if an object or device consumes or produces 1 joule of energy in 1 second, it is using or generating power at the rate of 1 watt.
Watts are used to measure the power of electrical devices, such as light bulbs, household appliances, and electronic gadgets. They are also used in mechanical systems, like engines and motors, to quantify the power output.
A gigawatt is equal to one billion watts (1,000,000,000 watts) or 10^9 watts. It is a much larger unit of power compared to watts. Gigawatts are commonly used to express the power output of large-scale energy generation facilities or power plants. For instance, a nuclear power plant or a large wind farm might have a capacity in the gigawatt range.
Converting watts to gigawatts is a straightforward process. Since 1 gigawatt (GW) is equal to 1 billion watts (109 watts), you can use the following formula to convert watts to gigawatts:
P(GW) = P(W) / 109
For Example – Convert 1.21 gigawatts to watts
Ans. P(GW) = 1.21W / 109 = 1.21×10-9 GW
| Power (watts) | Power (gigawatts) |
| 0 W | 0 GW |
| 1000 W | 0.000001 GW |
| 10000 W | 0.00001 GW |
| 100000 W | 0.0001 GW |
| 1000000 W | 0.001 GW |
| 10000000 W | 0.01 GW |
| 100000000 W | 0.1 GW |
| 1000000000 W | 1 GW |
1 gigawatt (GW) is equal to 1,000,000,000 watts (1 billion watts).
12 gigawatts (GW) is equal to 12,000,000,000 watts (12 billion watts).
1 gigawatt (GW) is equal to 1,000,000 kilowatts (1 million kilowatts).
1 gigawatt (GW) is equal to 1,000 megawatts (1 million megawatts).
1 megawatt (MW) is equal to 1,000,000 watts (1 million watts) or 1,000 kilowatts.
The unit of kilowatt-hour (kWh) measures energy over time. 1 megawatt (MW) of power sustained for 1 hour equals 1,000 kilowatt-hours (kWh).
The apparent power, measured in kilovolt-amperes (kVA), is different from real power (measured in watts). In ideal conditions, 1 megawatt (MW) of real power is equal to 1 megavolt-ampere (MVA) of apparent power at unity power factor.
1 watt (W) is equal to 1 joule of energy transferred or used per second. It is a small unit of power commonly used to describe the power consumption of electronic devices and small appliances.