In 1 gigawatts there are 0.001 terawatts. Meanwhile in 1 terawatts there are 1,000 gigawatts. Keep reading to learn more about each unit of measure and how they are calculated. Or just use the Terawatts to Gigawatts calculator above to convert any number.
* Values rounded to 6 decimal places for readability
To convert gigawatts (GW) to terawatts (TW), use the SI prefix relationship: tera = 10¹² and giga = 10⁹. That means 1 TW = 1,000 GW.
Tip: Move the decimal three places left when converting GW to TW.
A gigawatt (GW) and a terawatt (TW) both measure power. Power is the rate that energy is used or produced. A terawatt is larger than a gigawatt by a factor of 1,000.
There are 1,000 gigawatts in 1 terawatt.
1 TW = 1,000 GW
Divide the gigawatt value by 1,000.
TW = GW ÷ 1,000
Multiply the terawatt value by 1,000.
GW = TW × 1,000
Use this simple formula:
TW = GW / 1,000
Use this simple formula:
GW = TW × 1,000
A gigawatt is a unit of power equal to one billion watts. It’s often used to describe large-scale electricity output, like a power plant or a regional power grid.
A terawatt is a unit of power equal to one trillion watts. It’s used for very large totals, such as national or global power demand and generation.
Yes. Since 1 TW equals 1,000 GW, half a terawatt equals 500 gigawatts.
0.5 TW = 0.5 × 1,000 GW = 500 GW
Divide 250 by 1,000 to convert gigawatts to terawatts.
250 GW = 0.25 TW
Multiply 1.2 by 1,000 to convert terawatts to gigawatts.
1.2 TW = 1,200 GW
Electric power systems can be huge. Using watts would create very large numbers. Gigawatts and terawatts keep the numbers easier to read and compare.
No. Gigawatts and terawatts measure power, not energy. Energy depends on time. For energy, you’ll see units like watt-hours, kilowatt-hours (kWh), or terawatt-hours (TWh).
Gigawatts (GW) measure power at a moment in time. Gigawatt-hours (GWh) measure energy over a period of time.
If a system produces 1 GW for 1 hour, it produces 1 GWh of energy.
Yes. GW to TW is a power-to-power conversion, so time is not part of it. You only need time when converting between power and energy.
No. The unit conversion stays the same. 1 TW always equals 1,000 GW, no matter the type of electricity.
A common mistake is multiplying instead of dividing. To convert GW to TW, you divide by 1,000. Another mistake is mixing up power (GW, TW) with energy (GWh, TWh).
The Calculate Box tool to convert gigawatts to terawatts 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 terawatts.