- Enter Power — Type any numeric value.
- Select Units — Choose from 10 power units: W, kW, MW, hp, bhp, PS, BTU/h, ft·lbf/s, kcal/h, erg/s.
- See Results — Real-time conversion with all equivalents.
- Copy — Click 'Copy' to copy result.
Power Converter — Convert Between Power Units
The Power Converter is a free, instant-use tool for converting between 10 power and energy rate units. Whether you're comparing engine specifications, sizing HVAC equipment, evaluating electrical systems, or performing physics calculations, this tool provides accurate real-time conversions.
All calculations run entirely in your browser. No data is sent to any server.
Supported Power Units
- Watt (W) — The SI unit of power. One watt equals one joule per second. Named after James Watt. Used universally in electrical engineering, physics, and everyday devices (e.g., light bulbs, phone chargers).
- Kilowatt (kW) — 1,000 watts. Used for electric motors, home appliances, and electric vehicle specifications. A typical US home uses about 1.2 kW average power.
- Megawatt (MW) — 1,000,000 watts. Used for power plants, large industrial equipment, and grid-scale energy. A typical wind turbine produces 2-3 MW.
- Horsepower (hp) — 745.7 watts. The mechanical horsepower defined by James Watt for comparing steam engines to draft horses. Used primarily for engines and motors in the US and UK.
- Brake Horsepower (bhp) — Measured at the engine output shaft after losses. Same value as mechanical hp (745.7 W). Used in automotive and marine contexts.
- Metric Horsepower (PS/CV) — 735.499 watts. Used in European and Asian automotive markets. PS (Pferdestärke) in German, CV (Cavallo Vapore) in Italian, CH in French.
- BTU/hour — 0.293 watts. British Thermal Units per hour. The standard unit for HVAC heating and cooling capacity in North America.
- ft·lbf/s — 1.356 watts. Foot-pounds force per second. Used in US engineering for torque-related power calculations.
- kcal/hour — 1.163 watts. Kilocalories per hour. Used in metabolic calculations and food science.
- erg/s — 10⁻⁷ watts. CGS unit of power. Used in some scientific contexts.
Key Conversion Factors
- 1 hp = 745.7 W = 0.7457 kW = 2,544.4 BTU/h
- 1 kW = 1,000 W = 1.341 hp = 1.3596 PS = 3,412 BTU/h
- 1 PS = 735.5 W = 0.9863 hp
- 1 ton cooling = 12,000 BTU/h = 3.517 kW
Features
- 10 Units — Comprehensive coverage of SI, imperial, and specialty units.
- Real-Time — Instant conversion as you type.
- All-Unit View — See all equivalents simultaneously.
- Swap & Copy — Quick direction swap and clipboard copy.
Common Use Cases
- Automotive — Compare engine specs between hp, PS, and kW.
- HVAC — Size heating and cooling equipment using BTU/h and kW.
- Electrical — Calculate power requirements for circuits and devices.
- Physics — Convert between SI and CGS power units.
Privacy
All conversions run in your browser. No data is transmitted. Works offline.