What this converter does
This converter turns megawatts of power into megawatt-hours of energy and back. Enter how many hours the plant runs — a 50 MW plant for 24 hours makes 1,200 MWh. Type a value and read the result as you type.
Power (MW) is a rate; energy (MWh) is the total delivered. Mixing them is a common error in generation and storage figures, which this keeps straight.
The units it covers
Power (MW) and energy (MWh) differ by time — energy is power sustained over a number of hours.
View all units & their values
| Unit | Symbol | Value | Mainly used |
|---|---|---|---|
| Megawatt | MW | power | Rate of generation or load |
| Megawatt-hour | MWh | energy | Energy over a period |
| Time | h | input | Duration in hours |
The formula
Energy is power multiplied by time, so megawatt-hours equal megawatts times the hours run:
MWh = MW × hoursWhere:
- MW = power in megawatts
- MWh = energy in megawatt-hours
- hours = duration the power runs
Worked example
How much energy does a 50 MW plant make in 24 hours?
MWh = MW × hours50 × 24 = 1,200 MWhSo a 50 MW plant running all day produces 1,200 MWh.
The units in this example
A rate of power — one million watts. Also selectable as kW, GW or W on this converter.
- 1 MW = 1,000 kW
- 1 MW for 1 h = 1 MWh
- 1 MW for 24 h = 24 MWh
- MWh = MW × hours
A quantity of energy — one megawatt sustained for one hour. Selectable as kWh, GWh or Wh too.
- 1 MWh = 1,000 kWh
- 1 MWh = 1 MW for 1 h
- 1,200 MWh = 50 MW × 24 h
- MW = MWh ÷ hours