Convert Gigawatts to Electrical Horsepower
Convert Gigawatts (GW) to Electrical Horsepower (hp(E)) instantly and accurately.
Conversion Formula
hp(E) = GW × 1340482.574
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.
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.
Quick Reference Table
| Gigawatts (GW) | Electrical Horsepower (hp(E)) |
|---|---|
| 1 GW | 1340480 hp(E) |
| 2 GW | 2680970 hp(E) |
| 5 GW | 6702410 hp(E) |
| 10 GW | 13404800 hp(E) |
| 25 GW | 33512100 hp(E) |
| 50 GW | 67024100 hp(E) |
| 100 GW | 134048000 hp(E) |