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.
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 (British) | Gigawatts |
---|---|
0
hp
|
0
GW
|
10
hp
|
0.000007457
GW
|
20
hp
|
0.000014914
GW
|
30
hp
|
0.000022371
GW
|
40
hp
|
0.000029828
GW
|
50
hp
|
0.000037285
GW
|
60
hp
|
0.000044742
GW
|
70
hp
|
0.000052199
GW
|
80
hp
|
0.000059656
GW
|
90
hp
|
0.000067113
GW
|
100
hp
|
0.00007457
GW
|
110
hp
|
0.000082027
GW
|
120
hp
|
0.000089484
GW
|
130
hp
|
0.000096941
GW
|
140
hp
|
0.000104398
GW
|
150
hp
|
0.000111855
GW
|
160
hp
|
0.000119312
GW
|
170
hp
|
0.000126769
GW
|
180
hp
|
0.000134226
GW
|
190
hp
|
0.000141683
GW
|
200
hp
|
0.00014914
GW
|
210
hp
|
0.000156597
GW
|
220
hp
|
0.000164054
GW
|
230
hp
|
0.000171511
GW
|
240
hp
|
0.000178968
GW
|
250
hp
|
0.000186425
GW
|
260
hp
|
0.000193882
GW
|
270
hp
|
0.000201339
GW
|
280
hp
|
0.000208796
GW
|
290
hp
|
0.000216253
GW
|
300
hp
|
0.00022371
GW
|
310
hp
|
0.000231167
GW
|
320
hp
|
0.000238624
GW
|
330
hp
|
0.000246081
GW
|
340
hp
|
0.000253538
GW
|
350
hp
|
0.000260995
GW
|
360
hp
|
0.000268452
GW
|
370
hp
|
0.000275909
GW
|
380
hp
|
0.000283366
GW
|
390
hp
|
0.000290823
GW
|
400
hp
|
0.00029828
GW
|
410
hp
|
0.000305737
GW
|
420
hp
|
0.000313194
GW
|
430
hp
|
0.000320651
GW
|
440
hp
|
0.000328108
GW
|
450
hp
|
0.000335565
GW
|
460
hp
|
0.000343022
GW
|
470
hp
|
0.000350479
GW
|
480
hp
|
0.000357936
GW
|
490
hp
|
0.000365393
GW
|
500
hp
|
0.00037285
GW
|
510
hp
|
0.000380307
GW
|
520
hp
|
0.000387764
GW
|
530
hp
|
0.000395221
GW
|
540
hp
|
0.000402678
GW
|
550
hp
|
0.000410135
GW
|
560
hp
|
0.000417592
GW
|
570
hp
|
0.000425049
GW
|
580
hp
|
0.000432506
GW
|
590
hp
|
0.000439963
GW
|
600
hp
|
0.00044742
GW
|
610
hp
|
0.000454877
GW
|
620
hp
|
0.000462334
GW
|
630
hp
|
0.000469791
GW
|
640
hp
|
0.000477248
GW
|
650
hp
|
0.000484705
GW
|
660
hp
|
0.000492162
GW
|
670
hp
|
0.000499619
GW
|
680
hp
|
0.000507076
GW
|
690
hp
|
0.000514533
GW
|
700
hp
|
0.00052199
GW
|
710
hp
|
0.000529447
GW
|
720
hp
|
0.000536904
GW
|
730
hp
|
0.000544361
GW
|
740
hp
|
0.000551818
GW
|
750
hp
|
0.000559275
GW
|
760
hp
|
0.000566732
GW
|
770
hp
|
0.000574189
GW
|
780
hp
|
0.000581646
GW
|
790
hp
|
0.000589103
GW
|
800
hp
|
0.00059656
GW
|
810
hp
|
0.000604017
GW
|
820
hp
|
0.000611474
GW
|
830
hp
|
0.000618931
GW
|
840
hp
|
0.000626388
GW
|
850
hp
|
0.000633845
GW
|
860
hp
|
0.000641302
GW
|
870
hp
|
0.000648759
GW
|
880
hp
|
0.000656216
GW
|
890
hp
|
0.000663673
GW
|
900
hp
|
0.00067113
GW
|
910
hp
|
0.000678587
GW
|
920
hp
|
0.000686044
GW
|
930
hp
|
0.000693501
GW
|
940
hp
|
0.000700958
GW
|
950
hp
|
0.000708415
GW
|
960
hp
|
0.000715872
GW
|
970
hp
|
0.000723329
GW
|
980
hp
|
0.000730786
GW
|
990
hp
|
0.000738243
GW
|
1000
hp
|
0.0007457
GW
|
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