Convert Picowatts to Gigawatts
Convert Picowatts (pW) to Gigawatts (GW) instantly and accurately.
Conversion Formula
GW = pW × 1.000000000e-21
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.
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
| Picowatts (pW) | Gigawatts (GW) |
|---|---|
| 1 pW | 1 × 10-21 GW |
| 2 pW | 2 × 10-21 GW |
| 5 pW | 5 × 10-21 GW |
| 10 pW | 1 × 10-20 GW |
| 25 pW | 2.5 × 10-20 GW |
| 50 pW | 5 × 10-20 GW |
| 100 pW | 1 × 10-19 GW |