If you’ve been thinking about energy costs lately, you might want to consider upgrading your home’s energy efficiency, such as installing solar panels. When comparing energy plan prices, you will often hear KWh and MWh metrics. So what does KWh really mean? How is it different from kilowatts (KW) and megawatt-hours (MWh)?
Overall, this paper highlights the importance of these units in the solar industry and the importance of understanding their conversion for efficient system design and operation.
Table of Contents
Briefly describe KWh and MWh
The conversion process between KWh and MWh is actually quite easy. In common terms, 1 megawatt-hour (MWh) of energy is equivalent to 1,000 kilowatt-hours (KWh).
When we do not understand the purpose of the power unit, these things will feel complicated. However, when we know what each unit is for and how to derive it, it becomes very easy to convert one unit to another.
Kilowatt-hours (KWh) are used to measure the amount of energy consumed or produced over a period of time, while kilowatts (KW) are used to measure the rate of energy transfer. Megawatts (MW) are used to measure larger amounts of power and are typically used in industrial Settings.
Understand kilowatt-hours
Kilowatt (kW) is a measure of the amount of energy used or produced by a piece of equipment at a particular point in time. Kilowatt-hours (kWh) represent the amount of this energy that accumulates over time.
For example, a toaster may have a higher power rating than a refrigerator, but the refrigerator runs all day and requires more kilowatt-hours to maintain power. So with a KW to KWh calculator you look at the amount of energy used over a period of time.
KWH is related to time. When we use the energy formula to calculate the kilowatt-hour of an appliance or home. The formula is energy equals power times time. With an understanding of kilowatt-hours, calculating solar demand with a kilowatt-hour cost calculator or sizing system is less complicated.
Explanation of kilowatts and watts (KW and W)
You will often see a kilowatt or watt rating on the packaging of an appliance, which describes the power required to use the appliance.
If we only want to use kilowatts as a unit of measurement for calculations, but appliances are in watts, we can perform some simple kilowatt-to-watt conversions.
Megawatt hour (MWh) and Megawatt (MW) interpretation (MWh vs MW)
The next unit of kilowatt is megawatt, and a megawatt hour is a megawatt of electricity that lasts for one hour. One megawatt is equal to 1,000 kilowatts or 1 million watts, which is the amount of power typically used in industrial electricity.
The same conversion applies to megawatt-hours and kilowatt-hours. So, if a 1,000 watt (1 kW) microwave oven runs continuously for 41.6 days, it will consume 1 megawatt-hour (MWh) of energy (1,000 watts / 24 hours per day = 41.6 days).
Any comparison between kilowatts and kilowatt-hours can be applied to megawatts and megawatt-hours, only 1,000 times larger. 1 MWh of energy is equivalent to 1,000 kWh of energy. In a solar power installation, you will most likely need batteries to store energy, so both megawatts and megawatt-hours are used to describe the battery capacity of a large solar power system suite.
How to understand energy use and kilowatt-hours
Understanding the context of the relevant indicators is important for understanding KWh and MWh. For example, the average American household uses 10,972 KWH of energy per year (according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration), which can be estimated at about 914KWh per month, or just under 30KWh per day.
In residential energy use, the most common unit is KWH. When evaluating energy upgrades, companies discuss how many kilowatts the system needs to meet the kilowatt-hour demand. In contrast, MWh usually refers to larger scale electricity use, such as new power plants or energy upgrades in towns and cities. In large-scale energy use scenarios, the preferred term is megawatt-hour or gigawatt hour (GWh), which refers to one billion watts of electricity.
Why is medium kilowatt-hour of solar energy important
When looking at solar options, you need to determine whether the purchased system can meet the energy demand, where kilowatts and kilowatt-hours come into play, combined with the “solar panel productivity” data point, you can accurately know the system size.
When it comes to solar energy, converting the power capacity (watts) into the expected energy output (KWH) is not easy due to a variety of factors. What is certain is that electricity is generated at a constant rate wherever it is, and the output rate of solar panels is significantly affected by the environment and circumstances.
Solar energy conversion kilowatt-hour formula
Solar panel productivity (also known as solar performance ratio) is a factor that determines whether your roof and location are suitable for solar installation, so that you can accurately determine the size of your solar system. Factors such as the Angle and orientation of the roof and the number of hours of sunlight in your town or state will significantly affect the performance of solar panels.
Solar panel productivity is a metric that allows you to estimate the size of your solar system required and the number of hours of electricity you expect to generate. For example, solar panels on the north side of the roof will be much less productive than the same panels on the south side of the roof, because south-facing roofs typically receive more sunlight exposure. The KWH formula for conversion is as follows:
Solar array System Size (kW) = annual energy demand (kWh)/solar panel productivity
So, if your home uses 10,972 KWH per year (the national average) and your location and roof type have a solar productivity of 1.57, you will need about 7 kW of solar energy systems to offset your energy needs.
Start your Solar journey on GYCX Solar
If you want a custom system design for your home, the best way to get more information is through a reputable solar installer. They can help you estimate your home’s solar potential, how much energy a solar panel system can generate in your home, and how much it will cost.
If you want to get a quote from a vetted Solar installer in your area, check out our market for GYCX solar Panels.
Conclusion
When converting one power unit to another, most of the time you need to rely on laws or calculations.
But when it comes to kW to MW or kWh to MWh, just multiply or divide by 1,000 to get the units you want.
