UnitsUp to date · Jan 15, 2026
Megawatt (MW)
One million watts, used to measure the capacity of power plants and utility-scale energy installations. A typical US home uses about 1.2 kW on average, so 1 MW can serve roughly 800 homes.
Why It Matters
News about power plants and solar farms uses MW. Understanding scale helps you evaluate community solar projects and grid capacity discussions.
Related Terms
Watt (W)
A unit of power equal to one joule per second. Solar panels are rated in watts (W) or kilowatts (kW = 1,000W).
kWh (Kilowatt-hour)
A unit of energy equal to 1,000 watts used for one hour. This is how utilities measure your electricity usage.
Utility-Scale Solar
Large solar installations (typically 1 MW to 1 GW+) that sell electricity on the wholesale market or to utilities through power purchase agreements.