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.
The watt, a unit of power in the International System of Units, is named after James Watt, the Scottish inventor who vastly improved the efficiency of steam engines in the 18th century. One watt is equivalent to one joule of energy per second, signifying how much energy is transferred or converted. Interestingly, a single watt is roughly the amount of power used by a human heart, pumping about 80 milliliters of blood per beat with a resting heart rate.
In our technology-driven society, watts are pivotal in understanding the energy consumption of electrical devices. For instance, a typical LED light bulb uses about 10 watts, significantly less than an incandescent bulb, highlighting the watt’s role in energy conservation. Moreover, the watt powers our world: everything from the brightness of light bulbs to the performance of supercomputers is measured in watts, underlining its importance in both everyday life and cutting-edge technology.
| Megawatts | Watts |
|---|---|
0
MW
|
0
W
|
1
MW
|
1000000
W
|
2
MW
|
2000000
W
|
3
MW
|
3000000
W
|
4
MW
|
4000000
W
|
5
MW
|
5000000
W
|
6
MW
|
6000000
W
|
7
MW
|
7000000
W
|
8
MW
|
8000000
W
|
9
MW
|
9000000
W
|
10
MW
|
1e+7
W
|
11
MW
|
1.1e+7
W
|
12
MW
|
1.2e+7
W
|
13
MW
|
1.3e+7
W
|
14
MW
|
1.4e+7
W
|
15
MW
|
1.5e+7
W
|
16
MW
|
1.6e+7
W
|
17
MW
|
1.7e+7
W
|
18
MW
|
1.8e+7
W
|
19
MW
|
1.9e+7
W
|
20
MW
|
2e+7
W
|
21
MW
|
2.1e+7
W
|
22
MW
|
2.2e+7
W
|
23
MW
|
2.3e+7
W
|
24
MW
|
2.4e+7
W
|
25
MW
|
2.5e+7
W
|
26
MW
|
2.6e+7
W
|
27
MW
|
2.7e+7
W
|
28
MW
|
2.8e+7
W
|
29
MW
|
2.9e+7
W
|
30
MW
|
3e+7
W
|
31
MW
|
3.1e+7
W
|
32
MW
|
3.2e+7
W
|
33
MW
|
3.3e+7
W
|
34
MW
|
3.4e+7
W
|
35
MW
|
3.5e+7
W
|
36
MW
|
3.6e+7
W
|
37
MW
|
3.7e+7
W
|
38
MW
|
3.8e+7
W
|
39
MW
|
3.9e+7
W
|
40
MW
|
4e+7
W
|
41
MW
|
4.1e+7
W
|
42
MW
|
4.2e+7
W
|
43
MW
|
4.3e+7
W
|
44
MW
|
4.4e+7
W
|
45
MW
|
4.5e+7
W
|
46
MW
|
4.6e+7
W
|
47
MW
|
4.7e+7
W
|
48
MW
|
4.8e+7
W
|
49
MW
|
4.9e+7
W
|
50
MW
|
5e+7
W
|
51
MW
|
5.1e+7
W
|
52
MW
|
5.2e+7
W
|
53
MW
|
5.3e+7
W
|
54
MW
|
5.4e+7
W
|
55
MW
|
5.5e+7
W
|
56
MW
|
5.6e+7
W
|
57
MW
|
5.7e+7
W
|
58
MW
|
5.8e+7
W
|
59
MW
|
5.9e+7
W
|
60
MW
|
6e+7
W
|
61
MW
|
6.1e+7
W
|
62
MW
|
6.2e+7
W
|
63
MW
|
6.3e+7
W
|
64
MW
|
6.4e+7
W
|
65
MW
|
6.5e+7
W
|
66
MW
|
6.6e+7
W
|
67
MW
|
6.7e+7
W
|
68
MW
|
6.8e+7
W
|
69
MW
|
6.9e+7
W
|
70
MW
|
7e+7
W
|
71
MW
|
7.1e+7
W
|
72
MW
|
7.2e+7
W
|
73
MW
|
7.3e+7
W
|
74
MW
|
7.4e+7
W
|
75
MW
|
7.5e+7
W
|
76
MW
|
7.6e+7
W
|
77
MW
|
7.7e+7
W
|
78
MW
|
7.8e+7
W
|
79
MW
|
7.9e+7
W
|
80
MW
|
8e+7
W
|
81
MW
|
8.1e+7
W
|
82
MW
|
8.2e+7
W
|
83
MW
|
8.3e+7
W
|
84
MW
|
8.4e+7
W
|
85
MW
|
8.5e+7
W
|
86
MW
|
8.6e+7
W
|
87
MW
|
8.7e+7
W
|
88
MW
|
8.8e+7
W
|
89
MW
|
8.9e+7
W
|
90
MW
|
9e+7
W
|
91
MW
|
9.1e+7
W
|
92
MW
|
9.2e+7
W
|
93
MW
|
9.3e+7
W
|
94
MW
|
9.4e+7
W
|
95
MW
|
9.5e+7
W
|
96
MW
|
9.6e+7
W
|
97
MW
|
9.7e+7
W
|
98
MW
|
9.8e+7
W
|
99
MW
|
9.9e+7
W
|
100
MW
|
1e+8
W
|
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