What is a Megawatt?

A megawatt (MW) is a unit of power equivalent to one million watts. It is frequently used to express the capacity of large-scale energy systems.

Megawatt Examples

• A small town with several thousand residents may consumpe 1-5 MW of power during peak demand
• Data centers, the vault of internet information, may consume between 1 MW and 100 MW at any given time depending on its size and knowledge density
• A large manufacturing facility may consume 10 MW of energy during its hours of operation

Breaking Down a Megawatt: