Power Unit Conversion Calculator
Conversion Result
Use the converter above to calculate different values and units
Power Conversion FAQs
Find answers to common questions about power measurements and conversions.
The main power measurement units are: 1) Watt (W) - SI unit of power, 2) Horsepower (hp) - mechanical/electrical power, 3) Kilowatt (kW) - larger power measurements, 4) BTU/hour - heating/cooling power, 5) Megawatt (MW) - industrial scale power, 6) VA (volt-amperes) - apparent power in AC systems.
To convert between watts and horsepower: 1) 1 horsepower = 745.7 watts, 2) 1 kilowatt = 1.341 horsepower, 3) For quick estimates: 750W ≈ 1 hp, 4) For mechanical horsepower: 1 hp = 550 ft⋅lbf/s, 5) For metric horsepower: 1 PS = 735.5 watts, 6) Electric motor ratings often use hp in US/UK.
Power and energy differences include: 1) Power is rate of energy use (watts), 2) Energy is total power over time (watt-hours), 3) Power × Time = Energy (e.g., 1000W × 1 hour = 1kWh), 4) Power is instantaneous, energy is cumulative, 5) Utility bills measure energy (kWh), not power.
Calculate electrical power using: 1) DC power: P = V × I (voltage × current), 2) AC power: P = V × I × PF (power factor), 3) Three-phase power: P = √3 × V × I × PF, 4) Resistive power: P = I²R, 5) Apparent power: VA = V × I, 6) Real power: W = VA × power factor.
Common power ratings include: 1) Household appliances: 100W-2000W, 2) Electric motors: 0.25-100 hp, 3) Power tools: 500W-2500W, 4) HVAC systems: 1-5 tons (3.5-17.5 kW), 5) Solar panels: 250-400W per panel, 6) Electric vehicles: 50-200 kW, 7) Industrial machinery: 1-1000 hp.
Power density conversions include: 1) Watts per square meter (W/m²), 2) BTU per hour per square foot (BTU/h⋅ft²), 3) Horsepower per cubic foot (hp/ft³), 4) Kilowatts per cubic meter (kW/m³), 5) Solar irradiance: 1000 W/m² = 317.1 BTU/h⋅ft², 6) Engine power density: 1 hp/ft³ = 35.315 kW/m³.
Power measurements are affected by: 1) Load conditions and variations, 2) Power factor in AC systems, 3) Temperature effects on efficiency, 4) Measurement instrument accuracy, 5) System losses and inefficiencies, 6) Operating environment, 7) Equipment maintenance condition.
Choose power units based on: 1) Industry standards (HVAC uses BTU/h, motors use hp), 2) Scale of application (household uses watts, utilities use megawatts), 3) Regional conventions (US uses hp, Europe uses kW), 4) Calculation requirements, 5) Equipment specifications, 6) Regulatory requirements.