Power Converter
Convert power between watts, kilowatts, horsepower, BTU/hour, and 45+ units. Used in electrical engineering, automotive performance, HVAC sizing, and appliance ratings. See also our HP to kW and Watts to HP converters.
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Popular Power Converters:
What is a Power Converter?
A power converter is a tool that converts measurements between different units of power such as watts, kilowatts, horsepower, and BTU per hour. It is used in electrical engineering, automotive performance, HVAC sizing, and any application where energy output rates need to be compared.
How to Convert Power Units
Select the power unit you want to convert from and the unit you want to convert to using the dropdown menus. Enter your value in the input field and the converter will instantly calculate the equivalent power. Use the popular conversion links below for common conversions like hp to kW.
Power Conversion Formulas
History of Power Measurement
James Watt popularized horsepower in the late 18th century to market his steam engines, defining it as the power to lift 550 pounds by one foot per second. The watt was named in his honor and became the SI unit of power in 1882. The ton of refrigeration was based on the cooling power of melting one ton of ice per day.
About This Power Converter
This power converter supports 45 different units including watt, kilowatt, megawatt, gigawatt, horsepower (mechanical, metric, electric, boiler), calorie/second, joule/second, volt ampere, and more. It covers electrical, mechanical, and thermal power systems.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I convert horsepower to kilowatts?
Multiply horsepower by 0.7457 to get kilowatts. For example, 200 hp = 200 × 0.7457 = 149.14 kW. This uses mechanical (imperial) horsepower.
What is the difference between hp and metric hp?
Mechanical horsepower (hp) equals 745.7 watts. Metric horsepower (PS) equals 735.5 watts. The difference is about 1.4%, with mechanical hp being slightly larger.
How many watts are in a kilowatt?
There are exactly 1,000 watts in one kilowatt. Similarly, 1 megawatt = 1,000 kilowatts = 1,000,000 watts.
What is a ton of refrigeration?
A ton of refrigeration equals 3,516.85 watts (about 3.5 kW). It represents the cooling power needed to melt one short ton of ice in 24 hours and is used to rate air conditioning systems.
What is the difference between watts and volt-amperes?
Watts measure real power (actual work done), while volt-amperes (VA) measure apparent power. In DC circuits they are equal. In AC circuits, watts = VA × power factor, where power factor is typically 0.8-0.95.
Metric Conversion Factor Tables for Power Converter
| Units to convert | Multiply By The Number | Convert as Unit |
|---|---|---|
| Watt (W) | 0.001 | Kilowatt (kW) |
| Watt (W) | 0.001341022 | Horsepower (hp) |
| Kilowatt (kW) | 1000 | Watt (W) |
| Kilowatt (kW) | 1.3410221 | Horsepower (hp) |
| Horsepower (hp) | 745.69987 | Watt (W) |
| Horsepower (hp) | 0.7456999 | Kilowatt (kW) |
| Horsepower (metric) | 735.49875 | Watt (W) |
| Megawatt (MW) | 1000 | Kilowatt (kW) |
| Gigawatt (GW) | 1000 | Megawatt (MW) |
| Ton (refrigeration) | 3516.853 | Watt (W) |
| Ton (refrigeration) | 3.516853 | Kilowatt (kW) |
| Joule/second (J/s) | 1 | Watt (W) |
| Kilocalorie/minute | 69.78 | Watt (W) |
| Volt Ampere (VA) | 1 | Watt (W) |
Powerconverters & it's abbreviations
| Unit | Abbreviation | Unit | Abbreviation | Unit | Abbreviation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| watt | W | kilowatt | kW | megawatt | MW |
| gigawatt | GW | terawatt | TW | petawatt | PW |
| exawatt | EW | milliwatt | mW | microwatt | µW |
| nanowatt | nW | picowatt | pW | femtowatt | fW |
| centiwatt | cW | deciwatt | dW | horsepower (mechanical) | hp |
| horsepower (metric) | PS | horsepower (electric) | hp(E) | horsepower (boiler) | hp(S) |
| pferdestarke | ps | ton (refrigeration) | ton | kilovolt ampere | kVA |
| volt ampere | VA | joule/second | J/s | joule/minute | J/min |
| joule/hour | J/h | MBH | MBH | newton meter/second | N·m/s |
Complete list of Power conversion units and its conversion.
- 1 watt [W] = 0.001 kilowatt [kW]
watts to kW → - 1 watt [W] = 0.001341022 horsepower (hp)
watts to hp → - 1 watt [W] = 1 joule/second [J/s]
watts to J/s →
- 1 kilowatt [kW] = 0.001 megawatt [MW]
kW to MW → - 1 kilowatt [kW] = 1000 joule/second [J/s]
kW to J/s → - 1 horsepower (hp) = 745.69987158 watt [W]
hp to watts →
- 1 megawatt [MW] = 1000000 watt [W]
MW to watts → - 1 megawatt [MW] = 1341.0221 horsepower (hp)
MW to hp → - 1 gigawatt [GW] = 1000 megawatt [MW]
GW to MW →
- 1 joule/second [J/s] = 1 watt [W]
J/s to watts → - 1 joule/minute [J/min] = 0.016666667 watt [W]
J/min to watts → - 1 kilocalorie (IT)/minute = 69.78 watt [W]
kcal/min to watts →
- 1 horsepower (boiler) = 9809.5 watt [W]
boiler hp to watts → - 1 horsepower (electric) = 746 watt [W]
electric hp to watts → - 1 horsepower (water) = 746.043 watt [W]
water hp to watts →
- 1 watt [W] = 0.000001 megawatt [MW]
watts to MW → - 1 kilowatt [kW] = 1000 watt [W]
kW to watts → - 1 kilowatt [kW] = 1.3410221 horsepower (hp)
kW to hp →
- 1 horsepower (hp) = 0.7456998716 kilowatt [kW]
hp to kW → - 1 horsepower (metric) = 735.49875 watt [W]
hp (metric) to watts → - 1 megawatt [MW] = 1000 kilowatt [kW]
MW to kW →
- 1 gigawatt [GW] = 1000000 kilowatt [kW]
GW to kW → - 1 ton (refrigeration) = 3516.8528421 watt [W]
ton to watts → - 1 ton (refrigeration) = 3.5168528 kilowatt [kW]
ton to kW →
- 1 terawatt [TW] = 1000 gigawatt [GW]
TW to GW → - 1 volt ampere [VA] = 1 watt [W]
VA to watts → - 1 kilovolt ampere [kVA] = 1000 watt [W]
kVA to watts →