Solar Megawatts Kilowatt-hours

What are kilowatt-hours (kWh) & megawatts (MW)?

In this blog post, we'll explain the key units of measurement in solar electricity: kilowatt-hours (kWh) and megawatts (MW), and how they relate to your financial savings. What is a Kilowatt-Hour (kWh)? A kilowatt-hour (kWh) is a unit of energy that measures the amount of electricity consumed or generated over time.

What is a kilowatt hour?

A kilowatt-hour equates to the energy consumption of a kilowatt of power for one hour. A megawatt is 1,000,000 watts of power — a thousand times larger than a kilowatt. Megawatts are typically used to describe power capacities on large scales, such as those of nuclear power plants or the amount of energy required to power a city.

How many kilowatts are in a megawatt?

A megawatt equals 1,000 kilowatts or one million watts. While kilowatts are great for understanding energy at home, megawatts come into play when you’re talking about larger-scale systems. For instance, a solar farm or a power plant might generate several megawatts of power to supply electricity to hundreds or thousands of homes.

How much power can a megawatt power?

A megawatt measures power on a large scale, so one megawatt can power a lot more than one household. The megawatt is the standard term of measurement for bulk electricity.1 The capacity of small solar facilities is measured in kilowatts, so one one-thousandth of a megawatt.