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.
Horsepower (metric) is a fascinating unit of measurement that dates back to the 18th century, when James Watt, the developer of the steam engine, sought to compare the power output of his engines to that of draft horses. The metric horsepower is defined as the amount of power required to lift a 75-kilogram mass one meter vertically in one second, which is equivalent to 735.5 watts. Interestingly, this unit persists in many regions, particularly in the automotive industry, where it is used to convey the strength of vehicle engines. Despite advancements in engine technology, the image of raw horsepower continues to captivate our imagination, embodying both history and precision engineering.
| Gigawatts | Horsepower (metric) |
|---|---|
0
GW
|
0
PS
|
0.1
GW
|
135962.16173
PS
|
0.2
GW
|
271924.32346
PS
|
0.3
GW
|
407886.48519
PS
|
0.4
GW
|
543848.64692
PS
|
0.5
GW
|
679810.80865
PS
|
0.6
GW
|
815772.97038
PS
|
0.7
GW
|
951735.13211
PS
|
0.8
GW
|
1087697.29384
PS
|
0.9
GW
|
1223659.45557
PS
|
1
GW
|
1359621.6173
PS
|
1.1
GW
|
1495583.77903
PS
|
1.2
GW
|
1631545.94076
PS
|
1.3
GW
|
1767508.1025
PS
|
1.4
GW
|
1903470.26423
PS
|
1.5
GW
|
2039432.42596
PS
|
1.6
GW
|
2175394.58769
PS
|
1.7
GW
|
2311356.74942
PS
|
1.8
GW
|
2447318.91115
PS
|
1.9
GW
|
2583281.07288
PS
|
2
GW
|
2719243.23461
PS
|
2.1
GW
|
2855205.39634
PS
|
2.2
GW
|
2991167.55807
PS
|
2.3
GW
|
3127129.7198
PS
|
2.4
GW
|
3263091.88153
PS
|
2.5
GW
|
3399054.04326
PS
|
2.6
GW
|
3535016.20499
PS
|
2.7
GW
|
3670978.36672
PS
|
2.8
GW
|
3806940.52845
PS
|
2.9
GW
|
3942902.69018
PS
|
3
GW
|
4078864.85191
PS
|
3.1
GW
|
4214827.01364
PS
|
3.2
GW
|
4350789.17537
PS
|
3.3
GW
|
4486751.3371
PS
|
3.4
GW
|
4622713.49883
PS
|
3.5
GW
|
4758675.66056
PS
|
3.6
GW
|
4894637.82229
PS
|
3.7
GW
|
5030599.98402
PS
|
3.8
GW
|
5166562.14575
PS
|
3.9
GW
|
5302524.30749
PS
|
4
GW
|
5438486.46922
PS
|
4.1
GW
|
5574448.63095
PS
|
4.2
GW
|
5710410.79268
PS
|
4.3
GW
|
5846372.95441
PS
|
4.4
GW
|
5982335.11614
PS
|
4.5
GW
|
6118297.27787
PS
|
4.6
GW
|
6254259.4396
PS
|
4.7
GW
|
6390221.60133
PS
|
4.8
GW
|
6526183.76306
PS
|
4.9
GW
|
6662145.92479
PS
|
5
GW
|
6798108.08652
PS
|
5.1
GW
|
6934070.24825
PS
|
5.2
GW
|
7070032.40998
PS
|
5.3
GW
|
7205994.57171
PS
|
5.4
GW
|
7341956.73344
PS
|
5.5
GW
|
7477918.89517
PS
|
5.6
GW
|
7613881.0569
PS
|
5.7
GW
|
7749843.21863
PS
|
5.8
GW
|
7885805.38036
PS
|
5.9
GW
|
8021767.54209
PS
|
6
GW
|
8157729.70382
PS
|
6.1
GW
|
8293691.86555
PS
|
6.2
GW
|
8429654.02728
PS
|
6.3
GW
|
8565616.18901
PS
|
6.4
GW
|
8701578.35074
PS
|
6.5
GW
|
8837540.51248
PS
|
6.6
GW
|
8973502.67421
PS
|
6.7
GW
|
9109464.83594
PS
|
6.8
GW
|
9245426.99767
PS
|
6.9
GW
|
9381389.1594
PS
|
7
GW
|
9517351.32113
PS
|
7.1
GW
|
9653313.48286
PS
|
7.2
GW
|
9789275.64459
PS
|
7.3
GW
|
9925237.80632
PS
|
7.4
GW
|
1.00612e+7
PS
|
7.5
GW
|
1.01972e+7
PS
|
7.6
GW
|
1.03331e+7
PS
|
7.7
GW
|
1.04691e+7
PS
|
7.8
GW
|
1.0605e+7
PS
|
7.9
GW
|
1.0741e+7
PS
|
8
GW
|
1.0877e+7
PS
|
8.1
GW
|
1.10129e+7
PS
|
8.2
GW
|
1.11489e+7
PS
|
8.3
GW
|
1.12849e+7
PS
|
8.4
GW
|
1.14208e+7
PS
|
8.5
GW
|
1.15568e+7
PS
|
8.6
GW
|
1.16927e+7
PS
|
8.7
GW
|
1.18287e+7
PS
|
8.8
GW
|
1.19647e+7
PS
|
8.9
GW
|
1.21006e+7
PS
|
9
GW
|
1.22366e+7
PS
|
9.1
GW
|
1.23726e+7
PS
|
9.2
GW
|
1.25085e+7
PS
|
9.3
GW
|
1.26445e+7
PS
|
9.4
GW
|
1.27804e+7
PS
|
9.5
GW
|
1.29164e+7
PS
|
9.6
GW
|
1.30524e+7
PS
|
9.7
GW
|
1.31883e+7
PS
|
9.8
GW
|
1.33243e+7
PS
|
9.9
GW
|
1.34603e+7
PS
|
10
GW
|
1.35962e+7
PS
|
If you like the website, share it on social media.