In 1 gigawatts there are 1,341,022.088844 horsepower. Meanwhile in 1 horsepower there are 7.45700e-7 gigawatts. Keep reading to learn more about each unit of measure and how they are calculated. Or just use the Horsepower to Gigawatts calculator above to convert any number.
* Values rounded to 6 decimal places for readability
To convert gigawatts (GW) to horsepower (hp), start with the base link between watts and horsepower.
Formula (GW to hp):
hp = GW × 1,000,000,000 × 0.001341022089595
Since (1,000,000,000 × 0.001341022089595 = 1,341,022.089595), you can use the shorter form:
Quick conversion:
hp = GW × 1,341,022.089595
Example:
2 GW = 2 × 1,341,022.089595 = 2,682,044.17919 hp
Small rounding differences can happen, so match your decimal places to the level of accuracy you need.
A gigawatt is a unit of power. It equals 1,000,000,000 watts (one billion watts). Power measures how fast energy is used or produced.
Horsepower is a unit of power often used for engines and motors. It describes how much work a machine can do over time. You’ll see it for cars, pumps, and industrial motors.
Multiply gigawatts by the right horsepower-per-gigawatt factor. The factor depends on the horsepower type you use (mechanical, metric, or electric). Always match the hp type to your need before converting.
It depends on the definition of horsepower:
Use this formula:
Example:
Use this formula:
Example:
Use this formula:
Electric horsepower is based on 746 watts per hp. It’s common in some electrical specs.
Horsepower isn’t one single standard. Mechanical horsepower, metric horsepower, and electric horsepower use different base definitions. That’s why the GW to hp result changes.
Use the type that matches the spec you’re working with:
If the source doesn’t say, check the product label or data sheet.
It’s a power conversion. Gigawatts and horsepower both measure power, not energy. Energy uses units like kilowatt-hours (kWh), megawatt-hours (MWh), or joules.
Horsepower isn’t “larger” or “smaller.” It’s the same kind of measurement in different units. A big number of horsepower can equal a smaller number of gigawatts, because the units scale differently.
They’re exact when you use a defined horsepower type. Small differences come from:
For clean results, keep extra decimals until the final step.
Gigawatts often describe large power systems. Converting to horsepower can help when comparing to motors or engines.
These numbers are huge because gigawatts describe very large power output.
For mechanical horsepower, a simple estimate works:
It’s close enough for rough comparisons. Use the full factor for exact work.
The Calculate Box tool to convert gigawatts to horsepower uses the open source script Convert.js to convert units of measurement. To use this tool, simply type a gigawatts value in the box and have it instantly converted to horsepower.