Gigawatt-hours (GWh) to Milliwatt-hours (mWh) conversion

What is Gigawatt-hours?

Gigawatt-hours (GWh) is a unit of energy representing one billion watt-hours. It's commonly used to quantify large amounts of electrical energy production or consumption. Let's break down what this means and explore its significance.

Understanding Gigawatt-hours

A gigawatt-hour represents the amount of energy equivalent to one gigawatt (one billion watts) operating for one hour. Since power is the rate at which energy is used or generated, a gigawatt-hour is a measure of total energy transferred or consumed over time.

The relationship between power, energy and time is:

$Energy = Power \times Time$

Where:

• Energy is in Gigawatt-hours (GWh)
• Power is in Gigawatts (GW)
• Time is in hours (h)

Formation of Gigawatt-hours

Gigawatt-hours are formed by scaling up from smaller units of energy:

• Watt (W): The base unit of power in the SI system. It measures the rate of energy transfer.
• Watt-hour (Wh): The amount of energy consumed by a 1-watt device operating for 1 hour.
• Kilowatt-hour (kWh): 1,000 watt-hours. Commonly used on electricity bills.
• Megawatt-hour (MWh): 1,000 kilowatt-hours or 1,000,000 watt-hours.
• Gigawatt-hour (GWh): 1,000 megawatt-hours or 1,000,000,000 watt-hours.

Real-World Examples

• Annual energy consumption of a city: A medium-sized city might consume several GWh of electricity per year.
• Power plant output: A large coal or nuclear power plant can generate multiple GWh of electricity per day.
• Renewable energy: A large wind farm or solar power plant can produce hundreds of GWh of electricity per year. For example, the average offshore wind farm generates around 1.4 GWh per turbine.
• Data centers: Large data centers are big energy consumer. An average data center can consume around 1 GWh per year. However, bigger data centers can consume more than that.
• Electric vehicle production Tesla's GigaFactory in Nevada consumes around 92 GWh per year
• Battery storage Utility-scale battery storage such as Moss Landing Energy Storage Facility can supply 3GWh of energy.

Energy Consumption Context

To put Gigawatt-hours in perspective, it's good to understand the scale of consumption it represents. For example, The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) estimates that the total U.S. electricity generation in 2022 was about 4,235 terawatt-hours (TWh). That's 4,235,000 GWh!

Associated Laws and Facts

While there isn't a specific law directly associated with gigawatt-hours, the increasing importance of energy efficiency and renewable energy sources has led to numerous policies and regulations aimed at reducing energy consumption and promoting the use of cleaner energy. This indirectly impacts the relevance and monitoring of GWh as a key metric.

For example, the European Union has set targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and increasing the share of renewable energy in its energy mix. These targets are often measured and tracked using GWh as a key indicator. You can see more about EU's 2030 climate & energy framework in Climate and energy framework at Council of the EU website.

What is Milliwatt-hours?

Milliwatt-hours (mWh) are a unit of energy, commonly used to express the capacity of small batteries and the energy consumption of low-power electronic devices. Understanding mWh helps in comparing battery life and energy efficiency.

Understanding Milliwatt-hours

A watt-hour (Wh) is a unit of energy equivalent to one watt of power sustained for one hour. A milliwatt-hour (mWh) is simply one-thousandth of a watt-hour. Mathematically:

$$1 \text{ mWh} = \frac{1}{1000} \text{ Wh} = 0.001 \text{ Wh}$$

Since a Watt is defined as Joules per second ($J/s$) and an hour is 3600 seconds, 1 Wh can also be represented in joules ($J$).

$$1 \text{ Wh} = 1 \frac{J}{s} \cdot 3600 s = 3600 \text{ J}$$

Therefore, converting mWh to Joules ($J$)

$$1 \text{ mWh} = 3.6 \text{ J}$$

Formation of Milliwatt-hours

Milliwatt-hours represent the amount of energy a device consumes or a battery provides over a period of time. It is derived by multiplying power (in milliwatts) by time (in hours):

$$\text{Energy (mWh)} = \text{Power (mW)} \times \text{Time (h)}$$

For example, a device consuming 10 mW of power for 5 hours uses 50 mWh of energy.

Real-World Examples and Applications

• Coin Cell Batteries: Small electronic devices like watches, calculators, and some sensors use coin cell batteries with capacities often measured in mWh. For example, a CR2032 battery might have a capacity of around 200-240 mWh.
• Wearable Devices: Smartwatches and fitness trackers use batteries with capacities expressed in mWh. A typical smartwatch battery might be rated at 300-500 mWh.
• Hearing Aids: These devices require very small, energy-efficient batteries. Their capacity is naturally expressed in mWh.
• IoT (Internet of Things) Devices: Many IoT sensors and devices designed for long-term deployment and low power consumption rely on batteries measured in mWh to operate for extended periods.
• Low-Power Integrated Circuits: Evaluating the power consumption of a chip in milliWatts gives engineers an idea about heat dissipation, battery life and other metrics.

Milliwatt-hours and Battery Capacity

Battery capacity is often specified in mWh. A higher mWh rating indicates that the battery can supply more energy and power a device for a longer time, assuming a constant power draw. When comparing different batteries for the same device, look for the higher mWh rating for longer usage. For an in-depth understanding, refer to resources on battery capacity.