Convert power units — watts, kilowatts, horsepower, BTU/hr.
| Unit | Name | Value |
|---|---|---|
| W | Watt | 0.293071 |
| kW | Kilowatt | 0.000293071 |
| MW | Megawatt | 2.93071e-7 |
| hp | Horsepower (mech) | 0.00039301462 |
Formula: Megawatt = BTU/hr × 2.9307e-7
Multiply any btu/hr value by 2.9307e-7 to get megawatt.
Reverse: BTU/hr = Megawatt × 3.412e+06
Common btu/hr values — factor: 1 BTU/hr = 2.9307e-7 MW
| BTU/hr (BTU/hr) | Megawatt (MW) | Context |
|---|---|---|
| 100 BTU/hr | 2.931e-05 MW | Small heater element |
| 500 BTU/hr | 0.0001465 MW | Hair dryer low |
| 1,000 BTU/hr | 0.0002931 MW | Small space heater |
| 3,412 BTU/hr | 0.001 MW | 1 kW equivalent |
| 5,000 BTU/hr | 0.001465 MW | Small window AC |
| 1e+04 BTU/hr | 0.002931 MW | Medium window AC |
| 1.2e+04 BTU/hr | 0.003517 MW | 1 ton AC |
| 1.8e+04 BTU/hr | 0.005275 MW | 1.5 ton AC |
| 2.4e+04 BTU/hr | 0.007034 MW | 2 ton AC |
| 3.6e+04 BTU/hr | 0.01055 MW | 3 ton AC |
| 6e+04 BTU/hr | 0.01758 MW | 5 ton central AC |
| 100,000 BTU/hr | 0.02931 MW | Home furnace |
| 500,000 BTU/hr | 0.1465 MW | Commercial HVAC |
| 1,000,000 BTU/hr | 0.2931 MW | Large industrial |
| 1.000e+09 BTU/hr | 293.1 MW | Power plant |
1 BTU/hr = 2.9307e-7 MW. Memorize for instant estimates.
Use 0 as a quick mental multiplier.
Multiply result by 3.412e+06 to recover the original BTU/hr value.
Sizes residential and commercial heating and cooling systems in BTU/hr.
Interprets AC unit capacity — '12,000 BTU/hr = 1 ton' for room sizing.
Verifies furnace and AC output ratings in BTU/hr meet local building codes.
Rates boiler output and heat exchanger capacity in BTU/hr.
Calculates heating and cooling loads for buildings in BTU/hr for ASHRAE compliance.
Selects gas appliances, furnaces, and water heaters rated in BTU/hr.
BTU/hr (British Thermal Units per hour) is the Imperial unit of power used in heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC). One BTU is the heat needed to raise 1 pound of water by 1°F; divided by an hour gives a power rate equal to 0.293071 watts.
HVAC equipment is universally rated in BTU/hr in the United States: window air conditioners range from 5,000 to 25,000 BTU/hr; central AC systems from 18,000 to 60,000 BTU/hr. Natural gas furnaces are rated in BTU/hr output.
Interesting fact: 12,000 BTU/hr = 1 'ton of refrigeration' — the cooling power needed to melt one ton of ice in 24 hours. This legacy unit still defines residential AC capacity in the US, where a 'one-ton' unit is a 12,000 BTU/hr air conditioner.
The megawatt (MW) equals 1,000 kW or 1,000,000 watts, and is the standard unit for power plant output, industrial facilities, and large electrical infrastructure.
Power plants are rated in megawatts: a typical nuclear reactor produces 1,000–1,600 MW; a large wind turbine generates 2–14 MW; utility-scale solar farms range from 10 to 2,000 MW. The capacity of a city's electrical grid is measured in megawatts.
Interesting fact: The Hoover Dam generates about 2,080 MW at full capacity. A single lightning bolt releases about 1,000 MW — but only for about 1 microsecond, so the total energy is relatively small.
Converting btu/hr to megawatt is common across electrical engineering, automotive, and HVAC industries. Different sectors use different power units — watts and kilowatts in electrical systems, horsepower in automotive and industrial machinery, and BTU/hr in heating and cooling — making accurate conversion essential for international equipment specifications and cross-disciplinary engineering.
Quick reference: 5 BTU/hr = 1.4654e-6 MW and 10 BTU/hr = 2.9307e-6 MW. Reverse: 1 MW = 3.412e+06 BTU/hr. Exact factor: 1 BTU/hr = 2.9307e-7 MW.
All conversions use IEEE 754 double-precision arithmetic, accurate to at least 8 significant figures.