Convert power units — watts, kilowatts, horsepower, BTU/hr.
| Unit | Name | Value |
|---|---|---|
| W | Watt | 1000000 |
| kW | Kilowatt | 1000 |
| hp | Horsepower (mech) | 1341.0219 |
| BTU/hr | BTU/hr | 3412142.5 |
Formula: BTU/hr = Megawatt × 3.412e+06
Multiply any megawatt value by 3.412e+06 to get btu/hr.
Reverse: Megawatt = BTU/hr × 2.9307e-7
Common megawatt values — factor: 1 MW = 3.412e+06 BTU/hr
| Megawatt (MW) | BTU/hr (BTU/hr) | Context |
|---|---|---|
| 0.001 MW | 3,412 BTU/hr | 1 kW |
| 0.01 MW | 3.412e+04 BTU/hr | 10 kW |
| 0.1 MW | 341,200 BTU/hr | 100 kW EV charger |
| 1 MW | 3,412,000 BTU/hr | Small wind turbine |
| 2 MW | 6,824,000 BTU/hr | 2 MW turbine |
| 10 MW | 34,120,000 BTU/hr | Small wind farm |
| 100 MW | 341,200,000 BTU/hr | Large wind farm |
| 500 MW | 1.706e+09 BTU/hr | Medium power plant |
| 1,000 MW | 3.412e+09 BTU/hr | Large power plant |
| 2,000 MW | 6.824e+09 BTU/hr | Hoover Dam |
| 5,000 MW | 1.706e+10 BTU/hr | Large nuclear plant |
| 1e+04 MW | 3.412e+10 BTU/hr | 10 GW grid |
| 100,000 MW | 3.412e+11 BTU/hr | 100 GW grid |
| 1,000,000 MW | 3.412e+12 BTU/hr | 1 TW |
| 1.000e+09 MW | 3.412e+15 BTU/hr | Global capacity fraction |
1 MW = 3.412e+06 BTU/hr. Memorize for instant estimates.
Use 3.412e+06 as a quick mental multiplier.
Multiply result by 2.9307e-7 to recover the original MW value.
Reports generation output and plant capacity in megawatts for grid dispatch.
Models wind farm and solar plant capacity and generation in megawatts.
Plans high-voltage transmission line capacity in megawatts.
Buys and sells power capacity contracts in megawatts on wholesale markets.
Forecasts regional peak demand and installed capacity requirements in megawatts.
Plans large campus power infrastructure rated in tens of megawatts.
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.
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.
Converting megawatt to btu/hr 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 MW = 1.706e+07 BTU/hr and 10 MW = 3.412e+07 BTU/hr. Reverse: 1 BTU/hr = 2.9307e-7 MW. Exact factor: 1 MW = 3.412e+06 BTU/hr.
All conversions use IEEE 754 double-precision arithmetic, accurate to at least 8 significant figures.