Convert Gigawatts to Ton of Refrigeration
Convert Gigawatts (GW) to Ton of Refrigeration (RT) instantly and accurately.
Conversion Formula
RT = GW × 284345.1361
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 Ton of Refrigeration
One ton of refrigeration (RT) = 12,000 BTU/h ≈ 3,517 W - the cooling rate to freeze 1 short ton (2,000 lb) of water in 24 hours. This follows from water's latent heat: 144 BTU/lb × 2,000 lb ÷ 24 h = 12,000 BTU/h. US residential AC is 1.5-5 tons; a large commercial building 500-2,000 tons; a hyperscale data centre 50,000-100,000 tons. The RT is deeply embedded in North American HVAC catalogs, load calculation software, and contractor pricing. 1 RT = 3,516.85 W.
Quick Reference Table
| Gigawatts (GW) | Ton of Refrigeration (RT) |
|---|---|
| 1 GW | 284345 RT |
| 2 GW | 568690 RT |
| 5 GW | 1421730 RT |
| 10 GW | 2843450 RT |
| 25 GW | 7108630 RT |
| 50 GW | 14217300 RT |
| 100 GW | 28434500 RT |