Horsepower to Gigawatt Converter

Horsepower (hp) is a unit of power originally defined as the power needed to lift 550 pounds one foot in one second, approximately equal to 746 watts. It was created to compare the output of steam engines with the power of draft horses.

Horsepower was defined by James Watt around 1782 to market his steam engines by comparing their output to the familiar power of horses. It became the standard unit for mechanical power in English-speaking countries and remains widely used despite the adoption of SI units.

Horsepower is extensively used in automotive engines, mechanical equipment, and motor specifications. It's standard for car engine ratings, industrial machinery, pumps, and mechanical power transmission systems, particularly in the United States.

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.