Kilowatt Hour to Megajoule Converter

A kilowatt-hour (kWh) is a unit of energy equal to the energy consumed by a device with a power rating of one kilowatt operating for one hour. It equals 3.6 megajoules and is the standard unit for measuring electrical energy consumption.

The kilowatt-hour was developed with the commercialization of electricity in the late 19th century. It provided a practical way for electric utilities to measure and bill for electrical energy consumption, becoming the standard unit for electrical energy trading worldwide.

Kilowatt-hours are universally used for measuring and billing electrical energy consumption in homes, businesses, and industries. They're found on every electricity bill, used in energy efficiency ratings for appliances, and are standard in renewable energy system specifications and grid energy trading.

A megajoule (MJ) is a unit of energy equal to one million joules (10⁶ J). It represents moderate to large amounts of energy, commonly used for measuring food energy content, fuel values, and mechanical work in engineering applications.

The megajoule gained prominence with the development of energy-conscious engineering and nutrition science. It became particularly useful for expressing food energy content as an alternative to calories, and for measuring energy in automotive and mechanical engineering applications.

Megajoules are used in nutrition labeling (as an alternative to calories), automotive engineering, mechanical systems, and fuel energy content. They're found on food packaging in many countries, vehicle fuel efficiency ratings, and engineering calculations for mechanical work and heat transfer.