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.
The megawatt-hour (MWh) is a unit of energy that measures electricity production, consumption, or energy flow over time. It is commonly used to bill large-scale electricity consumers, such as factories or entire cities. To put it into perspective, one megawatt-hour can power about 330 homes for an hour or a single home for 330 hours! In the realm of renewable energy, just one megawatt-hour of wind energy can offset over 1,100 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions—a significant environmental benefit.
Moreover, the world’s energy needs are so vast that in 2022, global electricity consumption soared to over 26,000 terawatt-hours (TWh), where one terawatt-hour equates to one million megawatt-hours. This highlights how crucial units like the MWh are in understanding and managing our energy use and impact.
| Gigawatt-hours | Megawatt-hours |
|---|---|
0
GWh
|
0
MWh
|
0.1
GWh
|
100
MWh
|
0.2
GWh
|
200
MWh
|
0.3
GWh
|
300
MWh
|
0.4
GWh
|
400
MWh
|
0.5
GWh
|
500
MWh
|
0.6
GWh
|
600
MWh
|
0.7
GWh
|
700
MWh
|
0.8
GWh
|
800
MWh
|
0.9
GWh
|
900
MWh
|
1
GWh
|
1000
MWh
|
1.1
GWh
|
1100
MWh
|
1.2
GWh
|
1200
MWh
|
1.3
GWh
|
1300
MWh
|
1.4
GWh
|
1400
MWh
|
1.5
GWh
|
1500
MWh
|
1.6
GWh
|
1600
MWh
|
1.7
GWh
|
1700
MWh
|
1.8
GWh
|
1800
MWh
|
1.9
GWh
|
1900
MWh
|
2
GWh
|
2000
MWh
|
2.1
GWh
|
2100
MWh
|
2.2
GWh
|
2200
MWh
|
2.3
GWh
|
2300
MWh
|
2.4
GWh
|
2400
MWh
|
2.5
GWh
|
2500
MWh
|
2.6
GWh
|
2600
MWh
|
2.7
GWh
|
2700
MWh
|
2.8
GWh
|
2800
MWh
|
2.9
GWh
|
2900
MWh
|
3
GWh
|
3000
MWh
|
3.1
GWh
|
3100
MWh
|
3.2
GWh
|
3200
MWh
|
3.3
GWh
|
3300
MWh
|
3.4
GWh
|
3400
MWh
|
3.5
GWh
|
3500
MWh
|
3.6
GWh
|
3600
MWh
|
3.7
GWh
|
3700
MWh
|
3.8
GWh
|
3800
MWh
|
3.9
GWh
|
3900
MWh
|
4
GWh
|
4000
MWh
|
4.1
GWh
|
4100
MWh
|
4.2
GWh
|
4200
MWh
|
4.3
GWh
|
4300
MWh
|
4.4
GWh
|
4400
MWh
|
4.5
GWh
|
4500
MWh
|
4.6
GWh
|
4600
MWh
|
4.7
GWh
|
4700
MWh
|
4.8
GWh
|
4800
MWh
|
4.9
GWh
|
4900
MWh
|
5
GWh
|
5000
MWh
|
5.1
GWh
|
5100
MWh
|
5.2
GWh
|
5200
MWh
|
5.3
GWh
|
5300
MWh
|
5.4
GWh
|
5400
MWh
|
5.5
GWh
|
5500
MWh
|
5.6
GWh
|
5600
MWh
|
5.7
GWh
|
5700
MWh
|
5.8
GWh
|
5800
MWh
|
5.9
GWh
|
5900
MWh
|
6
GWh
|
6000
MWh
|
6.1
GWh
|
6100
MWh
|
6.2
GWh
|
6200
MWh
|
6.3
GWh
|
6300
MWh
|
6.4
GWh
|
6400
MWh
|
6.5
GWh
|
6500
MWh
|
6.6
GWh
|
6600
MWh
|
6.7
GWh
|
6700
MWh
|
6.8
GWh
|
6800
MWh
|
6.9
GWh
|
6900
MWh
|
7
GWh
|
7000
MWh
|
7.1
GWh
|
7100
MWh
|
7.2
GWh
|
7200
MWh
|
7.3
GWh
|
7300
MWh
|
7.4
GWh
|
7400
MWh
|
7.5
GWh
|
7500
MWh
|
7.6
GWh
|
7600
MWh
|
7.7
GWh
|
7700
MWh
|
7.8
GWh
|
7800
MWh
|
7.9
GWh
|
7900
MWh
|
8
GWh
|
8000
MWh
|
8.1
GWh
|
8100
MWh
|
8.2
GWh
|
8200
MWh
|
8.3
GWh
|
8300
MWh
|
8.4
GWh
|
8400
MWh
|
8.5
GWh
|
8500
MWh
|
8.6
GWh
|
8600
MWh
|
8.7
GWh
|
8700
MWh
|
8.8
GWh
|
8800
MWh
|
8.9
GWh
|
8900
MWh
|
9
GWh
|
9000
MWh
|
9.1
GWh
|
9100
MWh
|
9.2
GWh
|
9200
MWh
|
9.3
GWh
|
9300
MWh
|
9.4
GWh
|
9400
MWh
|
9.5
GWh
|
9500
MWh
|
9.6
GWh
|
9600
MWh
|
9.7
GWh
|
9700
MWh
|
9.8
GWh
|
9800
MWh
|
9.9
GWh
|
9900
MWh
|
10
GWh
|
10000
MWh
|
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