Convert Mechanical Horsepower to Gigawatts
Convert Mechanical Horsepower (hp) to Gigawatts (GW) instantly and accurately.
Conversion Formula
GW = hp × 7.456998716e-7
About Mechanical Horsepower
The mechanical horsepower (hp) is exactly 550 ft·lbf/s ≈ 745.7 W - defined by James Watt by timing mine horses to set a comparable steam engine rating. A typical compact car produces 100-150 hp (75-112 kW); a sports car 300-600 hp; an F1 car ~1,000 hp (745 kW). SAE net horsepower is measured at the flywheel with all accessories fitted. Marine diesel engines, aircraft piston engines, and lawn equipment are still rated in hp. 1 hp = 550 ft·lbf/s = 745.6998715822704 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
| Mechanical Horsepower (hp) | Gigawatts (GW) |
|---|---|
| 1 hp | 7.457 × 10-7 GW |
| 2 hp | 1.491 × 10-6 GW |
| 5 hp | 3.728 × 10-6 GW |
| 10 hp | 7.457 × 10-6 GW |
| 25 hp | 1.864 × 10-5 GW |
| 50 hp | 3.728 × 10-5 GW |
| 100 hp | 7.457 × 10-5 GW |