Megawatt (MW)

Definition

One million watts — the scale of power plants and wind farms.

History

The megawatt is one million watts, the scale used for generating stations. It became a standard measure as electricity grids grew.

Where it is used

Megawatts describe the output of power plants and wind and solar farms.

Typical uses include power generation, wind and solar farms.

Conversion pages

These pages convert megawatt to or from another unit in power.

No conversion pages use this unit yet.

Other Power units

• Kilowatt (kW)
• Horsepower (hp)
• Watt (W)
• Metric horsepower (PS)
• BTU per hour (BTU/h)

Sources

• NIST SP 811 NIST SP 811, App. B (power). Mechanical hp = 550 ft·lbf/s ≈ 745.70 W; metric hp (PS) = 75 kgf·m/s = 735.49875 W · Dataset reviewed Nov 11, 2026