Watts to Gigawatts Converter
Enter the power in watts below to convert it to gigawatts.
Convert Watts to Gigawatts
Enter a value in watts (W) to convert to gigawatts (GW).
Watt to Gigawatt Conversion Table
Table showing various watt measurements converted to gigawatts. Click any preset value or arrow to load it into the converter.
| Watts (W) | Gigawatts (GW) |
|---|---|
| 1 W | 1e-9 GW |
| 10 W | 0.00000001 GW |
| 100 W | 0.0000001 GW |
| 1,000 W | 0.000001 GW |
| 10,000 W | 0.00001 GW |
| 100,000 W | 0.0001 GW |
| 1,000,000 W | 0.001 GW |
| 5,000,000 W | 0.005 GW |
| 10,000,000 W | 0.01 GW |
| 25,400,000 W | 0.0254 GW |
How to Convert Watts to Gigawatts
To convert watts to gigawatts, multiply the power by the following conversion ratio: 1e-9 gigawatts/watt.
Since one watt is equal to 1e-9 gigawatts, you can use this simple formula to convert:
The power in gigawatts is equal to the power in watts multiplied by 1e-9.
For example, here's how to convert 5 watts to gigawatts using the formula above.
How Many Gigawatts Are in a Watt?
There are 1e-9 gigawatts in a watt, which is why we use this value in the formula above.
Our watt to gigawatt calculator automatically converts your power measurements with full decimal and scientific precision across US customary, imperial, and SI metric standards.
Watts and gigawatts are both units used to measure power. Keep reading to learn more about each unit.
What Is a Watt?
Coherent SI unit of power equal to 1 Joule per second (1 J/s). It serves as a primary reference unit for measuring power across scientific and practical applications. [1]
The watt is classified as an International System of Units (SI) unit of power. Watts can be abbreviated as W; for example, 1 watt can be written as 1 W.
As the primary coherent reference unit for power in this category, all other power units are mathematically anchored to the watt (W).
In practice, watts (W) are widely used across standard power applications within International System of Units (SI) workflows, engineering documentation, and technical data sheets.
What Is a Gigawatt?
A gigawatt is a unit of power equal to 1,000,000,000 watts (W), the base unit for power. Equal to 1,000,000,000 Watts (1,000 MW). [2]
The gigawatt is classified as an International System of Units (SI) unit of power. Gigawatts can be abbreviated as GW; for example, 1 gigawatt can be written as 1 GW.
In the metric system, "giga" is the standard SI prefix for billions, or 10⁹. This makes the gigawatt (GW) a convenient decimal multiple of the watt (W).
In practice, gigawatts (GW) are widely used across large-scale industrial, bulk, and macro-level power specifications within International System of Units (SI) workflows, engineering documentation, and technical data sheets.
When converting power between watts (W) and gigawatts (GW), keep full floating-point precision (1 W = 1e-9 GW; 1 GW = 1,000,000,000 W) during intermediate calculations and round only the final gigawatt figure to match your instrument tolerance.
More Watt & Gigawatt Conversions
Need to calculate in the opposite direction? Use our gigawatts to watts calculator to switch your starting unit immediately. You can also explore related tools such as converting gigawatts to watts, converting watts to horsepower (hp), or converting watts to kilowatts.
Frequently Asked Questions
References
- [1]NIST SP 811 StandardNIST SP 811 (NIST SP 811 App. B.9 (Power & Radiant Flux))·Power Metrology Standard — Watts (W) to Gigawatts (GW)
- [2]NIST CUU SpecificationNIST CUU (Derived SI Unit: Watt (W))·Unit Specifications: Watt (W) & Gigawatt (GW)
- [3]BIPM ReferenceBIPM (SI Brochure (9th Ed.) — Power)·Conversion Factors & Mathematical Basis (W to GW)