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.
A megawatt (MW) is a unit of power equal to one million watts and commonly used to quantify the electricity output of power plants and the energy capacity of large-scale renewable sources. To put it into perspective, a single megawatt can power approximately 200 to 1,000 homes for a year, depending on the regional energy consumption and efficiency standards.
Interestingly, major landmarks like the Eiffel Tower consume around 7 MW just for their illuminating beauty, while massive data centers, which power our digital world, can easily require dozens of megawatts to operate. As our dependency on electricity grows, understanding the scale of power like a megawatt highlights the essential conversation around sustainable energy solutions and efficient power generation.
Gigawatts | Megawatts |
---|---|
0
GW
|
0
MW
|
0.1
GW
|
100
MW
|
0.2
GW
|
200
MW
|
0.3
GW
|
300
MW
|
0.4
GW
|
400
MW
|
0.5
GW
|
500
MW
|
0.6
GW
|
600
MW
|
0.7
GW
|
700
MW
|
0.8
GW
|
800
MW
|
0.9
GW
|
900
MW
|
1
GW
|
1000
MW
|
1.1
GW
|
1100
MW
|
1.2
GW
|
1200
MW
|
1.3
GW
|
1300
MW
|
1.4
GW
|
1400
MW
|
1.5
GW
|
1500
MW
|
1.6
GW
|
1600
MW
|
1.7
GW
|
1700
MW
|
1.8
GW
|
1800
MW
|
1.9
GW
|
1900
MW
|
2
GW
|
2000
MW
|
2.1
GW
|
2100
MW
|
2.2
GW
|
2200
MW
|
2.3
GW
|
2300
MW
|
2.4
GW
|
2400
MW
|
2.5
GW
|
2500
MW
|
2.6
GW
|
2600
MW
|
2.7
GW
|
2700
MW
|
2.8
GW
|
2800
MW
|
2.9
GW
|
2900
MW
|
3
GW
|
3000
MW
|
3.1
GW
|
3100
MW
|
3.2
GW
|
3200
MW
|
3.3
GW
|
3300
MW
|
3.4
GW
|
3400
MW
|
3.5
GW
|
3500
MW
|
3.6
GW
|
3600
MW
|
3.7
GW
|
3700
MW
|
3.8
GW
|
3800
MW
|
3.9
GW
|
3900
MW
|
4
GW
|
4000
MW
|
4.1
GW
|
4100
MW
|
4.2
GW
|
4200
MW
|
4.3
GW
|
4300
MW
|
4.4
GW
|
4400
MW
|
4.5
GW
|
4500
MW
|
4.6
GW
|
4600
MW
|
4.7
GW
|
4700
MW
|
4.8
GW
|
4800
MW
|
4.9
GW
|
4900
MW
|
5
GW
|
5000
MW
|
5.1
GW
|
5100
MW
|
5.2
GW
|
5200
MW
|
5.3
GW
|
5300
MW
|
5.4
GW
|
5400
MW
|
5.5
GW
|
5500
MW
|
5.6
GW
|
5600
MW
|
5.7
GW
|
5700
MW
|
5.8
GW
|
5800
MW
|
5.9
GW
|
5900
MW
|
6
GW
|
6000
MW
|
6.1
GW
|
6100
MW
|
6.2
GW
|
6200
MW
|
6.3
GW
|
6300
MW
|
6.4
GW
|
6400
MW
|
6.5
GW
|
6500
MW
|
6.6
GW
|
6600
MW
|
6.7
GW
|
6700
MW
|
6.8
GW
|
6800
MW
|
6.9
GW
|
6900
MW
|
7
GW
|
7000
MW
|
7.1
GW
|
7100
MW
|
7.2
GW
|
7200
MW
|
7.3
GW
|
7300
MW
|
7.4
GW
|
7400
MW
|
7.5
GW
|
7500
MW
|
7.6
GW
|
7600
MW
|
7.7
GW
|
7700
MW
|
7.8
GW
|
7800
MW
|
7.9
GW
|
7900
MW
|
8
GW
|
8000
MW
|
8.1
GW
|
8100
MW
|
8.2
GW
|
8200
MW
|
8.3
GW
|
8300
MW
|
8.4
GW
|
8400
MW
|
8.5
GW
|
8500
MW
|
8.6
GW
|
8600
MW
|
8.7
GW
|
8700
MW
|
8.8
GW
|
8800
MW
|
8.9
GW
|
8900
MW
|
9
GW
|
9000
MW
|
9.1
GW
|
9100
MW
|
9.2
GW
|
9200
MW
|
9.3
GW
|
9300
MW
|
9.4
GW
|
9400
MW
|
9.5
GW
|
9500
MW
|
9.6
GW
|
9600
MW
|
9.7
GW
|
9700
MW
|
9.8
GW
|
9800
MW
|
9.9
GW
|
9900
MW
|
10
GW
|
10000
MW
|
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