Convert British Thermal Units to Megawatt-Hours
Convert British Thermal Units (BTU) to Megawatt-Hours (MWh) instantly and accurately.
Conversion Formula
MWh = BTU × 2.930710702e-7
About British Thermal Units
A British Thermal Unit (BTU) - the heat to raise 1 lb of water by 1°F - equals exactly 1,055.05585262 J. It dominates US HVAC: room air conditioners are rated in BTU/h (5,000-24,000 BTU/h = 1.5-7.0 kW); one ton of refrigeration is exactly 12,000 BTU/h. Natural gas is billed in therms (100,000 BTU) in the US. Higher heating values: natural gas ~1,020-1,050 BTU/ft³; No. 2 fuel oil ~138,700 BTU/US gal; propane ~91,500 BTU/US gal. 1 BTU = 1,055.06 J = 252.164 cal = 0.29307 Wh.
About Megawatt-Hours
A megawatt-hour (MWh) is the energy from 1 MW for one hour - exactly 3.6 GJ. It is the standard unit for wholesale electricity trading. Power purchase agreements (PPAs) specify capacity and price in $/MWh or €/MWh. A 5 MW wind turbine at full capacity generates 5 MWh/h. Primary aluminium smelting consumes 13-15 MWh per tonne. The Moss Landing battery (California) stores 3,287 MWh. The daily output of a 1 GW nuclear plant at 90% capacity factor is ~21,600 MWh. 1 MWh = 3.6 GJ = 3,412,141 BTU = 1,000 kWh.
Quick Reference Table
| British Thermal Units (BTU) | Megawatt-Hours (MWh) |
|---|---|
| 1 BTU | 2.931 × 10-7 MWh |
| 2 BTU | 5.861 × 10-7 MWh |
| 5 BTU | 1.465 × 10-6 MWh |
| 10 BTU | 2.931 × 10-6 MWh |
| 25 BTU | 7.327 × 10-6 MWh |
| 50 BTU | 1.465 × 10-5 MWh |
| 100 BTU | 2.931 × 10-5 MWh |