Convert Ton of Refrigeration to Gigawatts
Convert Ton of Refrigeration (RT) to Gigawatts (GW) instantly and accurately.
Conversion Formula
GW = RT × 3.516852842e-6
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.
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
| Ton of Refrigeration (RT) | Gigawatts (GW) |
|---|---|
| 1 RT | 3.517 × 10-6 GW |
| 2 RT | 7.034 × 10-6 GW |
| 5 RT | 1.758 × 10-5 GW |
| 10 RT | 3.517 × 10-5 GW |
| 25 RT | 8.792 × 10-5 GW |
| 50 RT | 0.000175843 GW |
| 100 RT | 0.000351685 GW |