Horsepower to Megawatt 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 megawatt (MW) is a unit of power equal to one million watts (10⁶ W). It represents large amounts of power commonly used to describe the output of power plants, large motors, and significant electrical installations.

The megawatt became standard with the growth of electrical power systems in the early 20th century. It provided an appropriate scale for describing power plant capacities, large industrial equipment, and electrical grid components as electricity became widespread.

Megawatts are extensively used in the power industry for plant capacity ratings, large motor specifications, wind turbine output, and electrical grid planning. They're standard for power plant ratings, large industrial equipment, and renewable energy project specifications.