Energy Conversion: KWH/M2, MWH/CM2 & WATT/M2

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the relationships between different units of energy per area, specifically kilowatt-hours per square meter (kWh/m²), megawatt-hours per square centimeter (MWh/cm²), and watts per square meter (W/m²). Participants explore the conversions between these units and clarify their differences, particularly regarding the inclusion of time in some units.

Discussion Character

  • Technical explanation
  • Mathematical reasoning
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant questions whether kWh/m², MWh/cm², and W/m² are equivalent and seeks to understand their relationships and conversion methods.
  • Another participant asserts that kWh/m² and MWh/cm² are equivalent, differing by a power of ten, while noting that W/m² does not include time as a factor.
  • A participant attempts to confirm a conversion, suggesting that 1 MWh/cm² equals 0.1 kWh/m².
  • Another participant corrects this claim, stating that the conversion is incorrect and provides a detailed explanation of the relationships between the units, including the necessary factors for conversion.
  • A participant emphasizes the importance of correctly using uppercase and lowercase in prefixes, explaining the significance of different prefixes such as milli (m) and Mega (M).

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

The discussion contains disagreements regarding the conversion factors between the units, with some participants providing conflicting information. There is no consensus on the correct conversion between MWh/cm² and kWh/m².

Contextual Notes

Participants express uncertainty about the conversions and the implications of unit prefixes, highlighting the complexity of the relationships between these energy units.

Smile_Face
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Hi all,

Dose kwh/m2 and mwh/cm2 and watt/m2 equal? if not what are the relationship between them?

How can convert between them??

Thanks in advance
Smile_Face :)
 
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kwh/m2 and mwh/cm2 are equivalent - they differ by some power of 10. In the numerator k=1000, m=1000000. In the denominator m = 100cm.

watt/m2 is different in that the other two have time as a factor and this doesn't.
 
Thanks for replying :)

1 mwh/cm2 = 0.1 kwh/m2 is that right??
 
Smile_Face said:
Thanks for replying :)

1 mwh/cm2 = 0.1 kwh/m2 is that right??
incorrect. You are off by a factor of one hundred million.

1 megawatt hour = 1,000,000 watt hours
1 kilowatt hour = 1,000 watt hours

1 meter = 100 centimeters

So

1 megawatt hour per square centimeter = 1000 kilowatt hours per square centimeter.
since there are 100 centimeters in a meter there are 10,000 square centimeters in a square meter.

So 1000 kilowatt hours per square centimeter = 1,000 x 10,000 kilowatt hours per square meter = 10,000,000 kilowatt hours per square meter.

I spelled everything out because I think you were confused by the abbreviations. You lost sight of what the units actually are.
 
Be careful with upper/lowercase in prefixes:
m = milli = 1E-3; M = Mega = 1E6
p = pico = 1E-12; P = Peta = 1E15
(and there´s deci and deka, of course)
 

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