Convert Megawatt-Hours to British Thermal Units

Convert Megawatt-Hours (MWh) to British Thermal Units (BTU) instantly and accurately.

Megawatt-Hours (MWh)
British Thermal Units (BTU)

Conversion Formula

BTU = MWh × 3412141.633

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.

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.

Quick Reference Table

Megawatt-Hours (MWh)British Thermal Units (BTU)
1 MWh3412140 BTU
2 MWh6824280 BTU
5 MWh17060700 BTU
10 MWh34121400 BTU
25 MWh85303500 BTU
50 MWh170607000 BTU
100 MWh341214000 BTU

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