Convert BTU per Second to Picowatts
Convert BTU per Second (BTU/s) to Picowatts (pW) instantly and accurately.
Conversion Formula
pW = BTU/s × 1.055055853e+15
About BTU per Second
One BTU per second (BTU/s) ≈ 1,055 W - close to 1 kW but slightly larger. Used when heat rates are so high that per-hour or per-minute numbers become unwieldy. In fire protection engineering, large house fires peak at 500-2,000 BTU/s; industrial fires at millions of BTU/s. Blast characterisation for petrochemical safety and large industrial heat exchangers with duties of millions of BTU/h are conveniently expressed in BTU/s. Since 1 BTU/s ≈ 1.055 kW, conversion to SI is straightforward. 1 BTU/s = 1,055.056 W.
About Picowatts
A picowatt (pW) is 10⁻¹² W - the power scale of the most sensitive radio receivers. GPS satellites transmit 20-50 W; by the time that signal spans 20,000 km, the received power is ~0.1 pW (−130 dBm). Radio telescopes routinely detect cosmic signals in the picowatt range. Qubit control electronics in quantum computers must resolve energy differences at picowatt scales. Photodetectors in single-photon counting mode, hard drive head read-back signals at idle, and deep-shadow solar cells also operate at picowatt levels. 1 pW = 10⁻¹² W.
Quick Reference Table
| BTU per Second (BTU/s) | Picowatts (pW) |
|---|---|
| 1 BTU/s | 1.055 × 1015 pW |
| 2 BTU/s | 2.11 × 1015 pW |
| 5 BTU/s | 5.275 × 1015 pW |
| 10 BTU/s | 1.055 × 1016 pW |
| 25 BTU/s | 2.638 × 1016 pW |
| 50 BTU/s | 5.275 × 1016 pW |
| 100 BTU/s | 1.055 × 1017 pW |