What Is This Tool?
This converter helps translate power measurements from electric horsepower, commonly used for rating electric motors, into gigawatts, a large-scale power unit used for utility and grid-level energy production.
How to Use This Tool?
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Enter the value in horsepower (electric) that you want to convert.
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Select horsepower (electric) as the input unit and gigawatt [GW] as the output unit.
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Click the convert button to see the equivalent power expressed in gigawatts.
Key Features
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Converts electric horsepower to gigawatt units directly.
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Based on the exact conversion rate of 1 horsepower (electric) equals 7.46×10⁻⁷ gigawatts.
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Supports power measurement applications in electrical engineering and energy management.
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Provides straightforward input and output for easy unit translation.
Examples
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500 horsepower (electric) converts to 0.000373 gigawatt [GW].
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1000 horsepower (electric) converts to 0.000746 gigawatt [GW].
Common Use Cases
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Interpreting motor power ratings for industrial pumps, fans, and compressors.
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Sizing motor controllers, starters, and electrical supplies for industrial applications.
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Comparing electric motor output to utility-scale power units for energy reporting.
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Assessing power generation capacity for large electric motors within grid systems.
Tips & Best Practices
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Ensure proper numerical precision when handling small decimal values after conversion.
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Use this tool to align motor specifications with large-scale power benchmarks in energy management.
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Verify definitions match standard engineering units before applying results in critical designs.
Limitations
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Electric horsepower denotes relatively small power compared to gigawatts, so converted values are often very small decimals.
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This conversion relies on standard definitions and does not reflect transient power changes or motor efficiency differences.
Frequently Asked Questions
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What does electric horsepower represent?
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Electric horsepower is a power unit used to rate electric motors, defined as exactly 746 watts, representing mechanical work done by electric machines.
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What is a gigawatt used for?
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A gigawatt is an SI power unit equal to one billion watts, commonly used for expressing large-scale energy generation and grid capacity.
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Why convert horsepower (electric) to gigawatts?
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Converting to gigawatts helps compare motor outputs with large power plant ratings and supports energy management at a utility scale.
Key Terminology
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Horsepower (electric)
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A power unit equal to exactly 746 watts used to rate electric motors and drives.
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Gigawatt [GW]
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An SI unit of power equal to one billion watts, used for describing very large energy transfer rates.