The watt-hour (Wh) is a unit of energy that measures the amount of electricity consumed or generated over time. It is the energy equivalent to one watt of power consumed for one hour. While electricity bills commonly display kilowatt-hours (kWh), understanding watt-hours can give you clearer insights into the energy efficiency of your household. For instance, a 60-watt incandescent light bulb running for one hour uses 60 watt-hours of electricity, while an energy-efficient LED bulb might only use around 10 watt-hours for the same illumination.
Interestingly, the concept of the watt-hour helps in comprehending renewable energy systems. Solar panels, for example, are rated in watts, but their output over time is often expressed in watt-hours or kilowatt-hours. Knowing this can help you assess how much energy your solar array could generate or your battery storage can hold, emphasizing the real value of alternative energy sources.
The kilowatt-hour (kWh) is a unit of energy that represents the amount of energy consumed or produced. Although commonly associated with electric bills, it has fascinating real-world applications. For example, one kWh can power a 100-watt incandescent light bulb for 10 hours or a modern energy-efficient LED bulb for around 50 hours. Interestingly, the kWh is not just for electricity—it’s also used in renewable energy systems to measure solar and wind power production efficiencies.
Beyond its practical uses, kilowatt-hours reveal intriguing insights into our energy consumption patterns. For instance, the average U.S. home consumes about 877 kWh per month, providing a benchmark for households exploring energy-saving measures. The kWh also serves as a universal language in global energy markets, standardizing costs and outputs across international borders.
| Watt-hours | Kilowatt-hours |
|---|---|
0
Wh
|
0
kWh
|
10
Wh
|
0.01
kWh
|
20
Wh
|
0.02
kWh
|
30
Wh
|
0.03
kWh
|
40
Wh
|
0.04
kWh
|
50
Wh
|
0.05
kWh
|
60
Wh
|
0.06
kWh
|
70
Wh
|
0.07
kWh
|
80
Wh
|
0.08
kWh
|
90
Wh
|
0.09
kWh
|
100
Wh
|
0.1
kWh
|
110
Wh
|
0.11
kWh
|
120
Wh
|
0.12
kWh
|
130
Wh
|
0.13
kWh
|
140
Wh
|
0.14
kWh
|
150
Wh
|
0.15
kWh
|
160
Wh
|
0.16
kWh
|
170
Wh
|
0.17
kWh
|
180
Wh
|
0.18
kWh
|
190
Wh
|
0.19
kWh
|
200
Wh
|
0.2
kWh
|
210
Wh
|
0.21
kWh
|
220
Wh
|
0.22
kWh
|
230
Wh
|
0.23
kWh
|
240
Wh
|
0.24
kWh
|
250
Wh
|
0.25
kWh
|
260
Wh
|
0.26
kWh
|
270
Wh
|
0.27
kWh
|
280
Wh
|
0.28
kWh
|
290
Wh
|
0.29
kWh
|
300
Wh
|
0.3
kWh
|
310
Wh
|
0.31
kWh
|
320
Wh
|
0.32
kWh
|
330
Wh
|
0.33
kWh
|
340
Wh
|
0.34
kWh
|
350
Wh
|
0.35
kWh
|
360
Wh
|
0.36
kWh
|
370
Wh
|
0.37
kWh
|
380
Wh
|
0.38
kWh
|
390
Wh
|
0.39
kWh
|
400
Wh
|
0.4
kWh
|
410
Wh
|
0.41
kWh
|
420
Wh
|
0.42
kWh
|
430
Wh
|
0.43
kWh
|
440
Wh
|
0.44
kWh
|
450
Wh
|
0.45
kWh
|
460
Wh
|
0.46
kWh
|
470
Wh
|
0.47
kWh
|
480
Wh
|
0.48
kWh
|
490
Wh
|
0.49
kWh
|
500
Wh
|
0.5
kWh
|
510
Wh
|
0.51
kWh
|
520
Wh
|
0.52
kWh
|
530
Wh
|
0.53
kWh
|
540
Wh
|
0.54
kWh
|
550
Wh
|
0.55
kWh
|
560
Wh
|
0.56
kWh
|
570
Wh
|
0.57
kWh
|
580
Wh
|
0.58
kWh
|
590
Wh
|
0.59
kWh
|
600
Wh
|
0.6
kWh
|
610
Wh
|
0.61
kWh
|
620
Wh
|
0.62
kWh
|
630
Wh
|
0.63
kWh
|
640
Wh
|
0.64
kWh
|
650
Wh
|
0.65
kWh
|
660
Wh
|
0.66
kWh
|
670
Wh
|
0.67
kWh
|
680
Wh
|
0.68
kWh
|
690
Wh
|
0.69
kWh
|
700
Wh
|
0.7
kWh
|
710
Wh
|
0.71
kWh
|
720
Wh
|
0.72
kWh
|
730
Wh
|
0.73
kWh
|
740
Wh
|
0.74
kWh
|
750
Wh
|
0.75
kWh
|
760
Wh
|
0.76
kWh
|
770
Wh
|
0.77
kWh
|
780
Wh
|
0.78
kWh
|
790
Wh
|
0.79
kWh
|
800
Wh
|
0.8
kWh
|
810
Wh
|
0.81
kWh
|
820
Wh
|
0.82
kWh
|
830
Wh
|
0.83
kWh
|
840
Wh
|
0.84
kWh
|
850
Wh
|
0.85
kWh
|
860
Wh
|
0.86
kWh
|
870
Wh
|
0.87
kWh
|
880
Wh
|
0.88
kWh
|
890
Wh
|
0.89
kWh
|
900
Wh
|
0.9
kWh
|
910
Wh
|
0.91
kWh
|
920
Wh
|
0.92
kWh
|
930
Wh
|
0.93
kWh
|
940
Wh
|
0.94
kWh
|
950
Wh
|
0.95
kWh
|
960
Wh
|
0.96
kWh
|
970
Wh
|
0.97
kWh
|
980
Wh
|
0.98
kWh
|
990
Wh
|
0.99
kWh
|
1000
Wh
|
1
kWh
|
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