Conversion of power units

Power and Energy Unit Conversion: Understanding and Applying Key Formulas

Understanding power and energy and their unit conversion is essential in physics, engineering, and everyday life. Whether choosing the right motor for your vehicle, calculating the energy efficiency of home appliances, or understanding the specifications of industrial machines, knowledge of power unit conversion enables better navigation in the technical world.

Power is the amount of work done per unit of time. In the International System of Units (SI), power is measured in watts (W). One watt is defined as one joule of work performed per second.

Tip: You may also be interested in energy unit conversions.

Other commonly used power units include:

• Kilowatts (kW): Often used to describe the power of engines and large electrical devices.
• Horsepower (HP): A traditional power unit, still popular in the automotive industry.
• Calories per hour: Sometimes used in food science or dietetics.
• Kilocalories per hour (kcal/h): This unit is often used in food science, dietetics, or measuring energy efficiency. One kilocalorie per hour is the amount of energy needed to heat 1000 grams of water by one degree Celsius per hour.
• Megawatt (MW): Used mainly to measure the power of large energy sources like power plants or large generators. One megawatt equals one million watts.
• Gigawatt (GW): A unit used to measure extremely high power, such as in large power stations or national energy grids. One gigawatt equals one billion watts.
• Microwatt (µW): This unit is used for measuring very small power, typically in microelectronics or testing small electronic components.
• Terawatt (TW): Used to measure enormous power, such as global energy consumption or in certain scientific applications. One terawatt equals one trillion watts.
• Pferdestärke (PS): The German equivalent of horsepower, still used in some European countries, particularly in the automotive industry.
• British Thermal Unit per hour (BTU/h): A unit often used in heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) to express the power of heating and cooling systems.

Examples of Power Unit Conversion Converting between different power units is essential for understanding and comparing technical specifications in various measurement systems. Let’s look at some specific power unit conversions and their formulas.

1. Conversion between watts and horsepower (HP)
   • 1 horsepower is approximately equal to 745.7 watts.
   • Example: Converting 100 HP to watts: 100 HP × 745.7 = 74,570 W
2. Conversion between kilowatts and horsepower
   • 1 kilowatt (kW) equals 1.341 horsepower.
   • Example: Converting 10 kW to horsepower: 10 kW × 1.341 = 13.41 HP
3. Conversion between megawatts and kilowatts
   • 1 megawatt (MW) equals 1,000 kilowatts (kW).
   • Example: Converting 2 MW to kW: 2 MW × 1,000 = 2,000 kW
4. Conversion between gigawatts and megawatts
   • 1 gigawatt (GW) equals 1,000 megawatts (MW).
   • Example: Converting 5 GW to MW: 5 GW × 1,000 = 5,000 MW
5. Conversion between microwatts and watts
   • 1 microwatt (µW) equals 0.000001 watt (W).
   • Example: Converting 500 µW to watts: 500 µW × 0.000001 = 0.0005 W
6. Conversion between British Thermal Units per hour (BTU/h) and watts
   • 1 BTU/h is approximately equal to 0.293071 watts.
   • Example: Converting 1000 BTU/h to watts: 1000 BTU/h × 0.293071 = 293.071 W

Formulas for Power Unit Conversion – Examples

1. Conversion between watts (W) and horsepower (HP)
   • Formula: 1 HP = 745.7 W
   • To convert from HP to W: HP × 745.7 = W
   • To convert from W to HP: W ÷ 745.7 = HP
2. Conversion between kilowatts (kW) and horsepower (HP)
   • Formula: 1 kW = 1.341 HP
   • To convert from kW to HP: kW × 1.341 = HP
   • To convert from HP to kW: HP ÷ 1.341 = kW
3. Conversion between megawatts (MW) and kilowatts (kW)
   • Formula: 1 MW = 1,000 kW
   • To convert from MW to kW: MW × 1,000 = kW
   • To convert from kW to MW: kW ÷ 1,000 = MW
4. Conversion between gigawatts (GW) and megawatts (MW)
   • Formula: 1 GW = 1,000 MW
   • To convert from GW to MW: GW × 1,000 = MW
   • To convert from MW to GW: MW ÷ 1,000 = GW
5. Conversion between British Thermal Units per hour (BTU/h) and watts (W)
   • Formula: 1 BTU/h ≈ 0.293071 W
   • To convert from BTU/h to W: BTU/h × 0.293071 = W
   • To convert from W to BTU/h: W ÷ 0.293071 = BTU/h

For a simpler and quicker option to convert power units, use our converter above. Just enter the input value, input unit, and output unit.