Power Converter - Convert Watts, Horsepower, BTU/h & More Units
Result:
1 W = 0.001 kW
How Power Conversion Works
Input Power
Enter power value
Select Units
Choose from and to units
Convert
Apply conversion formula
Power Conversion Formulas
Watts to Kilowatts:
kW = W ÷ 1000
Example: 5000 W = 5000 ÷ 1000 = 5 kW
Watts to Horsepower:
hp = W ÷ 745.7
Example: 1000 W = 1000 ÷ 745.7 = 1.34 hp
BTU/h to Watts:
W = BTU/h × 0.293
Example: 1000 BTU/h = 1000 × 0.293 = 293 W
Kilowatts to Megawatts:
MW = kW ÷ 1000
Example: 5000 kW = 5000 ÷ 1000 = 5 MW
Power Conversion Table
| Watts | Kilowatts | Horsepower | BTU/h | Megawatts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0.001 | 0.0013 | 3.4 | 0.000001 |
| 10 | 0.010 | 0.0134 | 34.1 | 0.000010 |
| 100 | 0.100 | 0.1341 | 341.2 | 0.000100 |
| 500 | 0.500 | 0.6705 | 1706.1 | 0.000500 |
| 1,000 | 1.000 | 1.3410 | 3412.1 | 0.001000 |
| 2,000 | 2.000 | 2.6820 | 6824.3 | 0.002000 |
| 5,000 | 5.000 | 6.7051 | 17060.7 | 0.005000 |
| 10,000 | 10.000 | 13.4102 | 34121.4 | 0.010000 |
| 25,000 | 25.000 | 33.5256 | 85303.6 | 0.025000 |
| 50,000 | 50.000 | 67.0511 | 170607.1 | 0.050000 |
| 100,000 | 100.000 | 134.1022 | 341214.2 | 0.100000 |
| 250,000 | 250.000 | 335.2555 | 853035.6 | 0.250000 |
| 500,000 | 500.000 | 670.5110 | 1706071.2 | 0.500000 |
| 750,000 | 750.000 | 1005.7666 | 2559106.8 | 0.750000 |
| 1,000,000 | 1000.000 | 1341.0221 | 3412142.5 | 1.000000 |
Power Units Progression Chart
1 W
100 W
1 kW
10 kW
100 kW
1 MW
Practice Problems
Problem 1:
Convert 2500 W to horsepower
Solution: 2500 ÷ 745.7 = 3.35 hp
Problem 2:
Convert 5 kW to BTU/h
Solution: (5 × 1000) ÷ 0.293 = 17,065 BTU/h
Problem 3:
Convert 10 hp to watts
Solution: 10 × 745.7 = 7,457 W
Problem 4:
Convert 50,000 BTU/h to kW
Solution: (50,000 × 0.293) ÷ 1000 = 14.65 kW
Problem 5:
Convert 1.5 MW to horsepower
Solution: (1.5 × 1,000,000) ÷ 745.7 = 2,012 hp
What is Power?
Power is the rate at which energy is used or transferred. It tells us how fast work is done or how quickly energy flows. Think of power like the speed of a car - it shows how fast something happens, not how much total distance is covered.
In simple terms, power measures how much energy is used every second. A light bulb that uses more power will shine brighter. A car engine with more power can accelerate faster. Power is everywhere in our daily lives.
The most common unit for measuring power is the watt. One watt means using one joule of energy every second. Bigger amounts of power are measured in kilowatts (1000 watts) or megawatts (1 million watts).
Common Power Units Explained
Watt (W)
The basic unit of power. Named after James Watt, who improved the steam engine. A typical LED light bulb uses about 10 watts. Your smartphone charger uses about 20 watts.
Kilowatt (kW)
Equal to 1000 watts. Most home appliances are rated in kilowatts. A microwave uses about 1 kW. An electric car charger uses 7-22 kW.
Horsepower (hp)
Originally based on the power of a horse. Still used for engines and motors. One horsepower equals about 746 watts. A small car engine has about 100-200 hp.
BTU per Hour (BTU/h)
Used mainly for heating and cooling systems. BTU stands for British Thermal Unit. A small window air conditioner might be rated at 5000 BTU/h.
Megawatt (MW)
Equal to 1 million watts. Used for large power systems. A wind turbine produces 1-3 MW. A nuclear power plant produces 1000+ MW.
Real-World Power Examples
Home Appliances
- • LED light bulb: 5-15 watts
- • Laptop computer: 50-100 watts
- • Refrigerator: 100-200 watts
- • Microwave oven: 800-1200 watts
- • Hair dryer: 1000-1800 watts
- • Electric kettle: 1500-3000 watts
Vehicles & Engines
- • Bicycle rider: 100-400 watts
- • Motorcycle: 20-200 horsepower
- • Small car: 100-200 horsepower
- • Sports car: 300-700 horsepower
- • Truck engine: 200-600 horsepower
- • Ship engine: 1000+ horsepower
Large Systems
- • Solar panel: 250-400 watts
- • Wind turbine: 1-3 megawatts
- • Small power plant: 10-100 MW
- • Large power plant: 500-1500 MW
- • Nuclear reactor: 1000+ MW
- • City power usage: 100-1000 MW
Why Convert Power Units?
Engineering & Design
Engineers need to match power ratings when designing systems. A motor rated in horsepower must work with a power supply rated in kilowatts. Converting units helps ensure everything works together safely.
Energy Bills & Costs
Electricity bills show usage in kilowatt-hours. To calculate costs, you need to know how many kilowatts your appliances use. Converting watts to kilowatts helps you understand your energy usage.
Comparing Products
Different products use different units. Air conditioners use BTU/h, but solar panels use watts. Converting units helps you compare different options fairly.
International Standards
Different countries use different units. The US often uses horsepower and BTU/h, while most other countries use watts and kilowatts. Converting helps when working with international specifications.
How to Use This Power Converter
Enter Your Power Value
Type the number you want to convert in the input box. You can enter whole numbers like 100, or decimals like 1.5. The converter works with any positive number.
Choose Your Starting Unit
Select the unit you're converting from in the "From" dropdown. This should match the unit of your original measurement. For example, if you have 500 watts, select "Watt (W)".
Pick Your Target Unit
Choose the unit you want to convert to in the "To" dropdown. This is the unit you need for your final answer. The result will appear automatically as you make your selection.
Read Your Result
The converted value appears instantly in the result box. The answer is rounded to remove unnecessary decimal places. You can copy this number and use it in your calculations or projects.
Common Conversion Examples
Household Appliances
• 1500 watts = 1.5 kilowatts (electric heater)
• 800 watts = 0.8 kilowatts (microwave)
• 60 watts = 0.06 kilowatts (old light bulb)
• 2000 watts = 2 kilowatts (hair dryer)
Vehicle Engines
• 150 hp = 111.9 kilowatts (small car)
• 300 hp = 223.7 kilowatts (sports car)
• 1 hp = 746 watts (definition)
• 500 hp = 373 kilowatts (truck engine)
Air Conditioning
• 12000 BTU/h = 3.5 kilowatts (room AC)
• 24000 BTU/h = 7.0 kilowatts (large AC)
• 5000 BTU/h = 1.5 kilowatts (small window unit)
• 36000 BTU/h = 10.5 kilowatts (central AC)
Renewable Energy
• 300 watts = 0.3 kilowatts (solar panel)
• 2 MW = 2000 kilowatts (wind turbine)
• 5 kW = 5000 watts (home solar system)
• 1 MW = 1341 horsepower (large generator)
Power Conversion Tips
Quick Mental Math
- • To convert watts to kilowatts: divide by 1000
- • To convert kilowatts to watts: multiply by 1000
- • 1 horsepower ≈ 750 watts (close approximation)
- • 1000 BTU/h ≈ 300 watts (rough estimate)
- • 1 kilowatt ≈ 1.3 horsepower (quick reference)
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- • Don't confuse power (watts) with energy (watt-hours)
- • Remember there are different types of horsepower
- • BTU/h is power, but BTU alone is energy
- • Always check if you need mechanical or electrical units
- • Double-check your decimal point placement
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the difference between power and energy?
Power is how fast energy is used (like speed), while energy is the total amount used (like distance). Power is measured in watts, energy in watt-hours. A 100-watt bulb uses 100 watts of power, but if it runs for 10 hours, it uses 1000 watt-hours of energy.
Why are there different types of horsepower?
Mechanical horsepower (746 watts) is used for engines and motors. Metric horsepower (735 watts) is used in Europe and some other countries. The difference is small but can matter for precise calculations.
When should I use BTU/h instead of watts?
BTU/h is commonly used for heating and cooling systems in the United States. If you're shopping for air conditioners, furnaces, or heat pumps in the US, you'll often see BTU/h ratings. Most other applications use watts or kilowatts.
How accurate is this power converter?
This converter uses precise conversion factors from international standards. Results are accurate to 8 decimal places, then rounded for practical use. The accuracy is suitable for engineering, scientific, and everyday calculations.