Watts to Gigawatts Converter
Enter a value to instantly convert between power units.
1 Watt = 1.0000e-9 Gigawatt
Key Formulas
Kilowatt → Horsepower (mech)
hp = kW × 1.34102Horsepower (mech) → Kilowatt
kW = hp × 0.7457Watt → Kilowatt
kW = W × 0.001Kilowatt → Watt
W = kW × 1000Formula
GW = W ÷ 1,000,000,000National energy planners and policy analysts work in gigawatts when discussing total installed generation capacity or peak grid demand. If you're comparing a proposed offshore wind project at 800,000,000 W to a country's total capacity, expressing it as 0.8 GW makes the comparison immediate. This conversion also appears in energy journalism, where a country's solar fleet or dam output is cited in GW.
Source: NIST SP 811, Table B.8
Last reviewed: · see our methodology
Frequently Asked Questions
Real-World Examples
A large nuclear power station generates approximately 1,000,000,000 W = 1 GW — enough to supply power to around 1 million homes continuously.
1000000000 W = 1 GW
The Hoover Dam at peak output produces about 2,200,000,000 W = 2.2 GW, supplying power to parts of Nevada, Arizona, and California.
2200000000 W = 2.2 GW
A large offshore wind farm at peak capacity: 500,000,000 W = 0.5 GW, typical for a major offshore installation.
500000000 W = 0.5 GW
A utility-scale solar farm covering several hundred acres generates around 100,000,000 W = 0.1 GW under peak sun.
100000000 W = 0.1 GW