In 1 terawatts there are 1,000 gigawatts. Meanwhile in 1 gigawatts there are 0.001 terawatts. Keep reading to learn more about each unit of measure and how they are calculated. Or just use the Gigawatts to Terawatts calculator above to convert any number.
* Values rounded to 6 decimal places for readability
To convert terawatts (TW) to gigawatts (GW), use the metric prefix scale. Tera- means (10^{12}) watts and giga- means (10^{9}) watts. That makes 1 TW = 1,000 GW.
Conversion formula:
Quick examples:
This TW to GW conversion is common in power and energy reporting, since terawatts make very large totals easier to read than long gigawatt numbers.
1 terawatt (TW) equals 1,000 gigawatts (GW). This is because “tera” means 10¹² and “giga” means 10⁹, so the difference is a factor of 1,000.
Multiply the terawatt value by 1,000.
Example: 2.5 TW × 1,000 = 2,500 GW.
Use this simple formula:
GW = TW × 1,000
Divide the gigawatt value by 1,000.
Example: 750 GW ÷ 1,000 = 0.75 TW.
Use this formula:
TW = GW ÷ 1,000
The metric prefixes set the scale. A terawatt is 10¹² watts, and a gigawatt is 10⁹ watts. Since 10¹² ÷ 10⁹ = 10³, the result is 1,000.
Terawatts and gigawatts measure power, not energy. Power is the rate of using or making energy. Energy is measured in watt-hours, like GWh or TWh.
Yes. TW and GW can describe any type of power output or use, such as electric power, heat power, or mechanical power. The unit stays the same; only the source changes.
No. The conversion between terawatts and gigawatts is fixed in the metric system. It doesn’t change based on context, country, or industry.
Gigawatts often describe power plants, grids, and large wind or solar farms. Terawatts often describe very large totals, like national demand or global electricity use.
Move the decimal three places to the right (or add three zeros).
The Calculate Box tool to convert terawatts to gigawatts uses the open source script Convert.js to convert units of measurement. To use this tool, simply type a terawatts value in the box and have it instantly converted to gigawatts.