gigawattimmar

Gigawattimmar is a hypothetical unit of energy used in certain energy planning and modeling contexts. It denotes the amount of energy produced when a power level of one gigawatt is sustained for a calendar month. The term is a portmanteau of gigawatt and the notion of a month; it is not an official SI unit and has no standardized international definition.

Definition and equivalence: By definition, 1 gigawattimmar equals 1 GW multiplied by one calendar month. With an average calendar month of about 730 hours, 1 gigawattimmar is approximately 730 gigawatt-hours (GWh), i.e., about 0.73 terawatt-hours (TWh). Because calendar months vary in length (28–31 days), the exact figure ranges roughly from 720 to 744 GWh.

Usage and context: Some energy analysts use gigawattimars to describe monthly energy production or demand in a way that directly relates to installed capacity. It can simplify comparisons of monthly performance across plants or regions. However the lack of standardization and the month-length variability limit its usefulness, and for formal reporting practitioners typically convert to MWh/GWh or TWh.

Examples: A 6 GW plant operated for one calendar month would generate about 6 × 730 ≈ 4380 GWh (≈ 4.38 TWh), i.e., about 6 gigawattimars for that month. For planning across months, cumulative values can be stated in gigawattimars.

See also: Energy unit, Gigawatt-hour, Kilowatt-hour, Terawatt-hour, Power duration units.