A gigawatt (GW) is a unit of power equal to one billion watts. To put it into perspective, a single gigawatt can power approximately 750,000 homes simultaneously in developed countries. This immense power is often used to measure the capacity of power plants, with modern nuclear reactors typically generating between 1 to 1.3 gigawatts each. The term gained mainstream attention in pop culture when Doc Brown, in the movie “Back to the Future,” famously exclaimed the need for 1.21 “gigawatts” to power his time machine. Although mistakenly pronounced, it sparked curiosity about the sheer scale of energy required for large-scale projects and futuristic concepts. Today, understanding gigawatts is crucial as we transition to more sustainable energy sources and technologies.

Did you know?

Horsepower is a unit of power that originated in the 18th century, coined by engineer James Watt to compare the output of steam engines with the power of draft horses. A fascinating aspect is the value assigned to this measurement: 1 British horsepower equals approximately 745.7 watts. To put this into perspective, this means that just one horsepower can light up more than ten 60-watt light bulbs!

Interestingly, the unit became widely adopted not for its precision but as a marketing tool. Since people were familiar with the strength of horses in everyday tasks, comparing engine power to horses made industrial power even more relatable and understandable during the Industrial Revolution. Today, horsepower continues to be an essential metric in the automotive and engine industries worldwide, despite its equine origins.

Gigawatts

Horsepower (British)

0 GW

0 hp

0.1 GW

134102.20891 hp

0.2 GW

268204.41782 hp

0.3 GW

402306.62673 hp

0.4 GW

536408.83564 hp

0.5 GW

670511.04455 hp

0.6 GW

804613.25345 hp

0.7 GW

938715.46236 hp

0.8 GW

1072817.67127 hp

0.9 GW

1206919.88018 hp

1 GW

1341022.08909 hp

1.1 GW

1475124.298 hp

1.2 GW

1609226.50691 hp

1.3 GW

1743328.71582 hp

1.4 GW

1877430.92473 hp

1.5 GW

2011533.13364 hp

1.6 GW

2145635.34255 hp

1.7 GW

2279737.55145 hp

1.8 GW

2413839.76036 hp

1.9 GW

2547941.96927 hp

2 GW

2682044.17818 hp

2.1 GW

2816146.38709 hp

2.2 GW

2950248.596 hp

2.3 GW

3084350.80491 hp

2.4 GW

3218453.01382 hp

2.5 GW

3352555.22273 hp

2.6 GW

3486657.43164 hp

2.7 GW

3620759.64055 hp

2.8 GW

3754861.84945 hp

2.9 GW

3888964.05836 hp

3 GW

4023066.26727 hp

3.1 GW

4157168.47618 hp

3.2 GW

4291270.68509 hp

3.3 GW

4425372.894 hp

3.4 GW

4559475.10291 hp

3.5 GW

4693577.31182 hp

3.6 GW

4827679.52073 hp

3.7 GW

4961781.72964 hp

3.8 GW

5095883.93855 hp

3.9 GW

5229986.14745 hp

4 GW

5364088.35636 hp

4.1 GW

5498190.56527 hp

4.2 GW

5632292.77418 hp

4.3 GW

5766394.98309 hp

4.4 GW

5900497.192 hp

4.5 GW

6034599.40091 hp

4.6 GW

6168701.60982 hp

4.7 GW

6302803.81873 hp

4.8 GW

6436906.02764 hp

4.9 GW

6571008.23655 hp

5 GW

6705110.44545 hp

5.1 GW

6839212.65436 hp

5.2 GW

6973314.86327 hp

5.3 GW

7107417.07218 hp

5.4 GW

7241519.28109 hp

5.5 GW

7375621.49 hp

5.6 GW

7509723.69891 hp

5.7 GW

7643825.90782 hp

5.8 GW

7777928.11673 hp

5.9 GW

7912030.32564 hp

6 GW

8046132.53455 hp

6.1 GW

8180234.74345 hp

6.2 GW

8314336.95236 hp

6.3 GW

8448439.16127 hp

6.4 GW

8582541.37018 hp

6.5 GW

8716643.57909 hp

6.6 GW

8850745.788 hp

6.7 GW

8984847.99691 hp

6.8 GW

9118950.20582 hp

6.9 GW

9253052.41473 hp

7 GW

9387154.62364 hp

7.1 GW

9521256.83255 hp

7.2 GW

9655359.04145 hp

7.3 GW

9789461.25036 hp

7.4 GW

9923563.45927 hp

7.5 GW

1.00577e+7 hp

7.6 GW

1.01918e+7 hp

7.7 GW

1.03259e+7 hp

7.8 GW

1.046e+7 hp

7.9 GW

1.05941e+7 hp

8 GW

1.07282e+7 hp

8.1 GW

1.08623e+7 hp

8.2 GW

1.09964e+7 hp

8.3 GW

1.11305e+7 hp

8.4 GW

1.12646e+7 hp

8.5 GW

1.13987e+7 hp

8.6 GW

1.15328e+7 hp

8.7 GW

1.16669e+7 hp

8.8 GW

1.1801e+7 hp

8.9 GW

1.19351e+7 hp

9 GW

1.20692e+7 hp

9.1 GW

1.22033e+7 hp

9.2 GW

1.23374e+7 hp

9.3 GW

1.24715e+7 hp

9.4 GW

1.26056e+7 hp

9.5 GW

1.27397e+7 hp

9.6 GW

1.28738e+7 hp

9.7 GW

1.30079e+7 hp

9.8 GW

1.3142e+7 hp

9.9 GW

1.32761e+7 hp

10 GW

1.34102e+7 hp

Conversion

Gigawatts to Watts

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Gigawatts to Milliwatts

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Gigawatts to Kilowatts

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Gigawatts to Megawatts

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Gigawatts to Horsepower (metric)

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Gigawatts to British thermal units per second

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Gigawatts to Foot-pounds per second

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Gigawatts to Horsepower (British) Conversion

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> Gigawatts to Horsepower (British) Conversion Table

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:: Power Units

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> Gigawatts to Horsepower (British) Conversion Table

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