Converters
Power Converter
Convert watts, kilowatts and horsepower.
About the Power Converter
The Power Converter works with watts, kilowatts, megawatts, horsepower, metric horsepower (PS), BTU per hour and tons of refrigeration, the units used for engines, appliances and air conditioners.
What you can do with the Power Converter
- Converts both ways: Type in either box and the other one updates as you type.
- Every unit at once: The "In every unit" list shows your value in W, kW, MW, hp, metric PS, BTU/h and AC tons. Tap one to switch to it.
- One-tap swap: The ⇅ button flips the two units, and the line under the boxes shows the rate for 1 unit.
- AC and engine ratings: Turn an AC's "1.5 ton" or a bike's PS rating into watts you can compare.
Two kinds of horsepower
Mechanical horsepower (hp) is about 745.7 watts. Metric horsepower, written PS, is slightly smaller at about 735.5 watts. Car and motorcycle specifications in Europe and India often use PS, so a 100 PS engine is about 98.6 hp.
Air conditioner "tons"
An air conditioner's ton has nothing to do with weight. One ton of refrigeration is 12,000 BTU per hour, about 3.5 kW of cooling. A 1.5-ton AC can remove heat at about 5.3 kW. The electricity it draws is lower than its cooling output, which is what efficiency ratings describe.
From power to your bill
Power is a rate. To estimate energy use, multiply power by time: a 2,000-watt heater running for 3 hours uses 6 kWh. Convert the result with the Energy Converter if needed.
Related tools
Frequently Asked Questions
How many watts is 1 horsepower?
About 745.7 watts for mechanical horsepower, or 735.5 watts for metric horsepower (PS).
How much cooling is a 1-ton AC?
12,000 BTU per hour, which is about 3.52 kW of cooling capacity.
What's the difference between kW and kWh?
kW measures power (how fast energy is used); kWh measures energy (how much was used over time).
How many hp is 1 kW?
One kilowatt is about 1.341 mechanical horsepower or about 1.36 metric horsepower (PS). One mechanical horsepower is about 745.7 W. Electric car and motor ratings in kW can be compared with petrol engine ratings by picking kW and hp here.
What is the difference between hp and PS?
PS, or metric horsepower, is 735.5 W, while mechanical horsepower (hp) is about 745.7 W, so 1 hp is about 1.014 PS. Indian bike and car brochures often quote PS. A 10 PS engine is about 7.35 kW or 9.86 hp.
How many BTU per hour is a 1.5-ton AC?
One ton of refrigeration is 12,000 BTU/h, so a 1.5-ton AC is rated for 18,000 BTU/h of cooling, which is about 5,275 watts. Pick ton (AC) and BTU/h to check other sizes, such as 1-ton or 2-ton models.
Does a 1.5-ton AC use 5,275 watts of electricity?
No. 5,275 W is its cooling output, not the power it draws. An AC moves more heat than the electricity it uses, so the input power is much lower. Check the BEE star label or the spec sheet for the actual input watts.
How many kW is 100 bhp?
100 bhp is about 74.57 kW, using 1 hp as about 745.7 W. Brake horsepower is measured at the engine crankshaft but uses the same unit size as mechanical horsepower, so pick hp in this tool for bhp figures.
Can I convert VA ratings of an inverter or UPS to watts?
VA is not one of the units here, because watts depend on the power factor. Watts are roughly VA multiplied by the power factor, often about 0.7 to 0.8 for home inverters. Check the label, then convert the watts here.
How many kW are in a megawatt?
One megawatt is 1,000 kilowatts, or one million watts. Power plants and solar parks are rated in MW. Type a value with MW selected to see it in kW, W, horsepower or AC tons in the "In every unit" list.
How do I see the rate for 1 unit?
The line under the two boxes always shows the rate for 1 of the first unit, for example 1 kW = 1.341022 hp. Tap ⇅ to swap the units and see the reverse rate, which is handy when you need a conversion factor for a sum.
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