A gigawatt-hour (GWh) is a unit of energy representing one billion watt-hours, or one million kilowatt-hours. To put it into perspective, a single gigawatt-hour can power approximately 750,000 homes for an hour or a modest-sized city for a few hours! This unit is commonly used in measuring the output of power stations or the amount of electricity consumed over a span.
Interestingly, the largest solar farm in the world, Noor Abu Dhabi, boasts a capacity of about 1,177 gigawatts per year, reflecting how renewable energy advancements continue to scale. As nations transition to greener power, understanding energy units like the gigawatt-hour becomes crucial in evaluating our global energy impact and future sustainability targets.
Named after the English physicist James Prescott Joule, the joule is a unit of energy in the International System of Units. A single joule represents the energy transferred when a force of one newton acts over a meter. To put it in everyday terms, the energy used to lift a small apple one meter off the ground is approximately one joule. Interestingly, the joule is also the energy released in one second by a current of one ampere through a resistance of one ohm, showcasing its versatility across both mechanical and electrical domains.
While joules measure energy, they can also power curiosity. For instance, the daily recommended caloric intake for an average adult translates to roughly 8,700,000 joules. This highlights the joule’s role not only in physics but also in our nutrition and daily energy consumption, offering a glimpse into the complex interplay between energy, food, and our bodies.
| Gigawatt-hours | Joules |
|---|---|
0
GWh
|
0
J
|
0.1
GWh
|
3.6e+11
J
|
0.2
GWh
|
7.2e+11
J
|
0.3
GWh
|
1.08e+12
J
|
0.4
GWh
|
1.44e+12
J
|
0.5
GWh
|
1.8e+12
J
|
0.6
GWh
|
2.16e+12
J
|
0.7
GWh
|
2.52e+12
J
|
0.8
GWh
|
2.88e+12
J
|
0.9
GWh
|
3.24e+12
J
|
1
GWh
|
3.6e+12
J
|
1.1
GWh
|
3.96e+12
J
|
1.2
GWh
|
4.32e+12
J
|
1.3
GWh
|
4.68e+12
J
|
1.4
GWh
|
5.04e+12
J
|
1.5
GWh
|
5.4e+12
J
|
1.6
GWh
|
5.76e+12
J
|
1.7
GWh
|
6.12e+12
J
|
1.8
GWh
|
6.48e+12
J
|
1.9
GWh
|
6.84e+12
J
|
2
GWh
|
7.2e+12
J
|
2.1
GWh
|
7.56e+12
J
|
2.2
GWh
|
7.92e+12
J
|
2.3
GWh
|
8.28e+12
J
|
2.4
GWh
|
8.64e+12
J
|
2.5
GWh
|
9e+12
J
|
2.6
GWh
|
9.36e+12
J
|
2.7
GWh
|
9.72e+12
J
|
2.8
GWh
|
1.008e+13
J
|
2.9
GWh
|
1.044e+13
J
|
3
GWh
|
1.08e+13
J
|
3.1
GWh
|
1.116e+13
J
|
3.2
GWh
|
1.152e+13
J
|
3.3
GWh
|
1.188e+13
J
|
3.4
GWh
|
1.224e+13
J
|
3.5
GWh
|
1.26e+13
J
|
3.6
GWh
|
1.296e+13
J
|
3.7
GWh
|
1.332e+13
J
|
3.8
GWh
|
1.368e+13
J
|
3.9
GWh
|
1.404e+13
J
|
4
GWh
|
1.44e+13
J
|
4.1
GWh
|
1.476e+13
J
|
4.2
GWh
|
1.512e+13
J
|
4.3
GWh
|
1.548e+13
J
|
4.4
GWh
|
1.584e+13
J
|
4.5
GWh
|
1.62e+13
J
|
4.6
GWh
|
1.656e+13
J
|
4.7
GWh
|
1.692e+13
J
|
4.8
GWh
|
1.728e+13
J
|
4.9
GWh
|
1.764e+13
J
|
5
GWh
|
1.8e+13
J
|
5.1
GWh
|
1.836e+13
J
|
5.2
GWh
|
1.872e+13
J
|
5.3
GWh
|
1.908e+13
J
|
5.4
GWh
|
1.944e+13
J
|
5.5
GWh
|
1.98e+13
J
|
5.6
GWh
|
2.016e+13
J
|
5.7
GWh
|
2.052e+13
J
|
5.8
GWh
|
2.088e+13
J
|
5.9
GWh
|
2.124e+13
J
|
6
GWh
|
2.16e+13
J
|
6.1
GWh
|
2.196e+13
J
|
6.2
GWh
|
2.232e+13
J
|
6.3
GWh
|
2.268e+13
J
|
6.4
GWh
|
2.304e+13
J
|
6.5
GWh
|
2.34e+13
J
|
6.6
GWh
|
2.376e+13
J
|
6.7
GWh
|
2.412e+13
J
|
6.8
GWh
|
2.448e+13
J
|
6.9
GWh
|
2.484e+13
J
|
7
GWh
|
2.52e+13
J
|
7.1
GWh
|
2.556e+13
J
|
7.2
GWh
|
2.592e+13
J
|
7.3
GWh
|
2.628e+13
J
|
7.4
GWh
|
2.664e+13
J
|
7.5
GWh
|
2.7e+13
J
|
7.6
GWh
|
2.736e+13
J
|
7.7
GWh
|
2.772e+13
J
|
7.8
GWh
|
2.808e+13
J
|
7.9
GWh
|
2.844e+13
J
|
8
GWh
|
2.88e+13
J
|
8.1
GWh
|
2.916e+13
J
|
8.2
GWh
|
2.952e+13
J
|
8.3
GWh
|
2.988e+13
J
|
8.4
GWh
|
3.024e+13
J
|
8.5
GWh
|
3.06e+13
J
|
8.6
GWh
|
3.096e+13
J
|
8.7
GWh
|
3.132e+13
J
|
8.8
GWh
|
3.168e+13
J
|
8.9
GWh
|
3.204e+13
J
|
9
GWh
|
3.24e+13
J
|
9.1
GWh
|
3.276e+13
J
|
9.2
GWh
|
3.312e+13
J
|
9.3
GWh
|
3.348e+13
J
|
9.4
GWh
|
3.384e+13
J
|
9.5
GWh
|
3.42e+13
J
|
9.6
GWh
|
3.456e+13
J
|
9.7
GWh
|
3.492e+13
J
|
9.8
GWh
|
3.528e+13
J
|
9.9
GWh
|
3.564e+13
J
|
10
GWh
|
3.6e+13
J
|
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