Convert Electrical Horsepower to Gigawatts
Convert Electrical Horsepower (hp(E)) to Gigawatts (GW) instantly and accurately.
Conversion Formula
GW = hp(E) × 7.460000000e-7
About Electrical Horsepower
The electrical horsepower (hp(E)) is defined as exactly 746 W - the US NEMA rounding used on electric motor nameplates. It differs from mechanical hp (745.7 W) by only 0.04%. Every NEMA-rated motor in the US carries a horsepower nameplate: a '5 hp motor' delivers 5 × 746 = 3,730 W. NEC motor branch-circuit sizing tables, overload relay selection, and starter ratings are all based on hp(E). Despite global kW adoption, US industrial motor infrastructure remains standardised in electrical horsepower. 1 hp(E) = 746 W.
About Gigawatts
A gigawatt (GW) is 10⁹ W - the scale of national grid capacity. UK peak demand is 40-70 GW; France 80-100 GW. Japan's Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear complex totals 8.2 GW. World installed solar PV surpassed 1,000 GW in 2022. The North Sea Link Norway-UK undersea cable carries 1.4 GW. Global data centre consumption exceeds 200 GW. A lightning bolt peaks at ~1 GW for ~30 µs, yielding only ~250 kJ total energy - power is extreme, energy modest. 1 GW = 10⁹ W.
Quick Reference Table
| Electrical Horsepower (hp(E)) | Gigawatts (GW) |
|---|---|
| 1 hp(E) | 7.46 × 10-7 GW |
| 2 hp(E) | 1.492 × 10-6 GW |
| 5 hp(E) | 3.73 × 10-6 GW |
| 10 hp(E) | 7.46 × 10-6 GW |
| 25 hp(E) | 1.865 × 10-5 GW |
| 50 hp(E) | 3.73 × 10-5 GW |
| 100 hp(E) | 7.46 × 10-5 GW |