Gigawatt to Decawatt Converter

A gigawatt (GW) is a unit of power equal to one billion watts (10⁹ W). It represents extremely large amounts of power typically associated with major power plants, national electricity grids, and large-scale energy infrastructure.

The gigawatt became important with the development of large-scale power generation in the 20th century. It provided a convenient scale for describing the output of major power plants, particularly nuclear and large hydroelectric facilities, and became essential for energy policy and grid planning.

Gigawatts are used to measure the capacity of large power plants, national electricity consumption, renewable energy installations, and major industrial facilities. They're standard for describing nuclear plant output, large solar farms, and national energy statistics.

A decawatt (daW) is a unit of power equal to ten watts (10¹ W). It represents small power levels typically found in low-power appliances, electronic devices, and small electrical systems.

The decawatt developed as part of the metric system's decimal structure, providing a convenient intermediate unit between watts and smaller power measurements. It became useful for describing power consumption of small electronic devices and low-power systems.

Decawatts are used for low-power appliance ratings, electronic device specifications, and small electrical systems. They're found in specifications for small electronic devices, LED lighting, and low-power electrical equipment.