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.
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.
| Megawatt-hours | Gigawatt-hours |
|---|---|
0
MWh
|
0
GWh
|
0.1
MWh
|
0.0001
GWh
|
0.2
MWh
|
0.0002
GWh
|
0.3
MWh
|
0.0003
GWh
|
0.4
MWh
|
0.0004
GWh
|
0.5
MWh
|
0.0005
GWh
|
0.6
MWh
|
0.0006
GWh
|
0.7
MWh
|
0.0007
GWh
|
0.8
MWh
|
0.0008
GWh
|
0.9
MWh
|
0.0009
GWh
|
1
MWh
|
0.001
GWh
|
1.1
MWh
|
0.0011
GWh
|
1.2
MWh
|
0.0012
GWh
|
1.3
MWh
|
0.0013
GWh
|
1.4
MWh
|
0.0014
GWh
|
1.5
MWh
|
0.0015
GWh
|
1.6
MWh
|
0.0016
GWh
|
1.7
MWh
|
0.0017
GWh
|
1.8
MWh
|
0.0018
GWh
|
1.9
MWh
|
0.0019
GWh
|
2
MWh
|
0.002
GWh
|
2.1
MWh
|
0.0021
GWh
|
2.2
MWh
|
0.0022
GWh
|
2.3
MWh
|
0.0023
GWh
|
2.4
MWh
|
0.0024
GWh
|
2.5
MWh
|
0.0025
GWh
|
2.6
MWh
|
0.0026
GWh
|
2.7
MWh
|
0.0027
GWh
|
2.8
MWh
|
0.0028
GWh
|
2.9
MWh
|
0.0029
GWh
|
3
MWh
|
0.003
GWh
|
3.1
MWh
|
0.0031
GWh
|
3.2
MWh
|
0.0032
GWh
|
3.3
MWh
|
0.0033
GWh
|
3.4
MWh
|
0.0034
GWh
|
3.5
MWh
|
0.0035
GWh
|
3.6
MWh
|
0.0036
GWh
|
3.7
MWh
|
0.0037
GWh
|
3.8
MWh
|
0.0038
GWh
|
3.9
MWh
|
0.0039
GWh
|
4
MWh
|
0.004
GWh
|
4.1
MWh
|
0.0041
GWh
|
4.2
MWh
|
0.0042
GWh
|
4.3
MWh
|
0.0043
GWh
|
4.4
MWh
|
0.0044
GWh
|
4.5
MWh
|
0.0045
GWh
|
4.6
MWh
|
0.0046
GWh
|
4.7
MWh
|
0.0047
GWh
|
4.8
MWh
|
0.0048
GWh
|
4.9
MWh
|
0.0049
GWh
|
5
MWh
|
0.005
GWh
|
5.1
MWh
|
0.0051
GWh
|
5.2
MWh
|
0.0052
GWh
|
5.3
MWh
|
0.0053
GWh
|
5.4
MWh
|
0.0054
GWh
|
5.5
MWh
|
0.0055
GWh
|
5.6
MWh
|
0.0056
GWh
|
5.7
MWh
|
0.0057
GWh
|
5.8
MWh
|
0.0058
GWh
|
5.9
MWh
|
0.0059
GWh
|
6
MWh
|
0.006
GWh
|
6.1
MWh
|
0.0061
GWh
|
6.2
MWh
|
0.0062
GWh
|
6.3
MWh
|
0.0063
GWh
|
6.4
MWh
|
0.0064
GWh
|
6.5
MWh
|
0.0065
GWh
|
6.6
MWh
|
0.0066
GWh
|
6.7
MWh
|
0.0067
GWh
|
6.8
MWh
|
0.0068
GWh
|
6.9
MWh
|
0.0069
GWh
|
7
MWh
|
0.007
GWh
|
7.1
MWh
|
0.0071
GWh
|
7.2
MWh
|
0.0072
GWh
|
7.3
MWh
|
0.0073
GWh
|
7.4
MWh
|
0.0074
GWh
|
7.5
MWh
|
0.0075
GWh
|
7.6
MWh
|
0.0076
GWh
|
7.7
MWh
|
0.0077
GWh
|
7.8
MWh
|
0.0078
GWh
|
7.9
MWh
|
0.0079
GWh
|
8
MWh
|
0.008
GWh
|
8.1
MWh
|
0.0081
GWh
|
8.2
MWh
|
0.0082
GWh
|
8.3
MWh
|
0.0083
GWh
|
8.4
MWh
|
0.0084
GWh
|
8.5
MWh
|
0.0085
GWh
|
8.6
MWh
|
0.0086
GWh
|
8.7
MWh
|
0.0087
GWh
|
8.8
MWh
|
0.0088
GWh
|
8.9
MWh
|
0.0089
GWh
|
9
MWh
|
0.009
GWh
|
9.1
MWh
|
0.0091
GWh
|
9.2
MWh
|
0.0092
GWh
|
9.3
MWh
|
0.0093
GWh
|
9.4
MWh
|
0.0094
GWh
|
9.5
MWh
|
0.0095
GWh
|
9.6
MWh
|
0.0096
GWh
|
9.7
MWh
|
0.0097
GWh
|
9.8
MWh
|
0.0098
GWh
|
9.9
MWh
|
0.0099
GWh
|
10
MWh
|
0.01
GWh
|
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