Convert Kilowatt to Megawatt (kW → MW)

Converting kilowatts to megawatts is straightforward: multiply by the conversion factor. Follow these three steps to do it by hand or in your head.

1. 1
   Take your value in kilowatts

   Start with the number of kilowatts (kW) you want to convert.
2. 2
   Multiply by 0.001

   The conversion factor from kW to MW is 0.001. Multiply your value by this number.
3. 3
   Read the result in megawatts

   The result is your value in megawatts (MW).

Multiply the value in kilowatts by 0.001. For the reverse direction, multiply by 1,000.

• ✓1 kW = 1000 W = 1.34 hp = 1.36 PS.
• ✓Home electricity contracted capacity often 3–11 kW in EU.
• ✓Multiply kW × hours = kWh energy consumed.

• ✗Confusing kW with kWh — power vs energy.
• ✗Assuming all hp measurements are identical — PS differs by 1.4%.
• ✗Exceeding contracted kW limit trips home main breaker.

What is the Kilowatt?

The kilowatt equals 1,000 watts and is the standard power rating for European cars, household appliances, and small industrial motors. European car engines are rated in kW (a typical economy car has 70–110 kW, a sports car 200–500 kW), even though horsepower is often quoted alongside for marketing. Major household appliances range from 1–3 kW (electric kettle, microwave) to 5–10 kW (electric oven, central air conditioning). Solar panel arrays for homes are sized in kW (typical residential system: 5–10 kW). Electric motors in industry are commonly rated 1 to 500 kW. The kilowatt relates to the watt (1,000 W = 1 kW), the megawatt (1,000 kW = 1 MW), horsepower (1 kW ≈ 1.341 hp), the BTU per hour (1 kW ≈ 3,412 BTU/h), and the kWh of energy when multiplied by hours.

• Car and motorcycle engine ratings (Europe)
• Home electrical service sizing
• HVAC and heating-pump capacity

What is the Megawatt?

The megawatt equals 1,000,000 watts (or 1,000 kW) and rates power plants, large industrial facilities, and grid-scale renewable installations worldwide. A typical natural-gas turbine generates 50–500 MW, a nuclear reactor produces 800–1,600 MW, and the largest hydroelectric plant (Three Gorges Dam in China) has 22,500 MW capacity. Wind turbines are rated 1.5–15 MW each (modern offshore turbines reach 14 MW). Solar farms range from 50 MW (small) to 1,500+ MW (large utility-scale projects). Electric grid demand for entire countries is measured in gigawatts (1 GW = 1,000 MW): the United States peaks at about 750 GW. The megawatt relates to the kilowatt (1,000 kW = 1 MW), the gigawatt (1,000 MW = 1 GW), and the megawatt-hour (when multiplied by time). Electricity wholesale markets bid in MW capacity and MWh energy.

• Power-station electrical output
• Wind and solar farm capacity
• Large industrial electricity consumption