Megawatts to kilowatts

Multiply megawatts by 1,000 to get kilowatts.

1 MW = 1,000 kWNIST SP 811

Convert

10,000kW

10 MW = 10,000 kW

How to convert megawatts to kilowatts

The kilowatt is one thousand watts — the metric unit for engine and appliance power. The megawatt is one million watts — the scale of power plants and wind farms.

Worked example — 10 MW: 10 × 1,000 = 10,000 kW.

Megawatts to kilowatts table

Common conversions.
Megawatts	Kilowatts
0.5 MW	500 kW
1 MW	1,000 kW
2 MW	2,000 kW
5 MW	5,000 kW
10 MW	10,000 kW
20 MW	20,000 kW
50 MW	50,000 kW
100 MW	100,000 kW
500 MW	500,000 kW

Reverse and related

kW → hp1 kW = 1.341 hp hp → kW1 hp = 0.7457 kW kW → W1 kW = 1,000 W BTU/h → kW1 BTU/h = 0.000293071 kW kW → BTU/h1 kW = 3,412.1416 BTU/h W → kW1 W = 0.001 kW

About megawatts and kilowatts

Megawatt (MW)

1 MW = 1,000 kW

Definition. One million watts — the scale of power plants and wind farms

History and origin

The megawatt is one million watts, the scale used for generating stations. It became a standard measure as electricity grids grew.

Current use

Megawatts describe the output of power plants and wind and solar farms.

Source: NIST SP 811, App. B (power). Mechanical hp = 550 ft·lbf/s ≈ 745.70 W; metric hp (PS) = 75 kgf·m/s = 735.49875 W

Kilowatt (kW)

1 kW = 0.001 MW

Definition. One thousand watts — the metric unit for engine and appliance power

History and origin

The kilowatt is one thousand watts, a metric multiple of the SI power unit. It gives practical numbers for engines and appliances.

Current use

Kilowatts rate car engines outside the United States, large appliances and electric-vehicle charging.

Source: NIST SP 811, App. B (power). Mechanical hp = 550 ft·lbf/s ≈ 745.70 W; metric hp (PS) = 75 kgf·m/s = 735.49875 W

Where people use this

Megawatts: power generation, wind and solar farms. Kilowatts: car engines outside the US, appliances, EV charging. 1 MW is exactly 1000 kW.

How we know this is right

The factor is fixed by the standards that define the units, not chosen — so it is exact, not a measurement:

1 kW = 0.001 MW, so 1 MW = 1 ÷ 0.001 = 1,000 kW.

Every value is carried to full double precision; the display is rounded.

Both units are defined in NIST SP 811, App. B (power). Mechanical hp = 550 ft·lbf/s ≈ 745.70 W; metric hp (PS) = 75 kgf·m/s = 735.49875 W.

Questions people ask

How many kW in a MW?

One megawatt is exactly 1000 kilowatts.

How many kW is 5 MW?

5 MW is 5000 kW.

How many MW is 500 kW?

500 kW is 0.5 MW.