Power Conversion Matrix
All 8 power units in one table — 56 pre-computed conversions, click any cell for the full converter.
Jump to matrixPower Conversion Matrix — All 8×7 Conversions
Click any cellW Watt | kW Kilowatt | MW Megawatt | hp Mechanical Horsepower | PS Metric Horsepower | BTU/h BTU per Hour | ft·lbf/s Foot-Pound per Second | VA Volt-Ampere | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
W Watt | — | 0.001 | 0.000001 | 0.001341 | 0.00136 | 3.412142 | 0.737562 | 1 |
kW Kilowatt | 1,000 | — | 0.001 | 1.341022 | 1.359622 | 3,412.1416 | 737.56215 | 1,000 |
MW Megawatt | 1,000,000 | 1,000 | — | 1,341.0221 | 1,359.6216 | 3,412,141.6 | 737,562.15 | 1,000,000 |
hp Mechanical Horsepower | 745.69987 | 0.7457 | 0.000746 | — | 1.01387 | 2,544.4336 | 550 | 745.69987 |
PS Metric Horsepower | 735.49875 | 0.735499 | 0.000735 | 0.98632 | — | 2,509.6259 | 542.47604 | 735.49875 |
BTU/h BTU per Hour | 0.293071 | 0.000293 | 2.931e-7 | 0.000393 | 0.000398 | — | 0.216158 | 0.293071 |
ft·lbf/s Foot-Pound per Second | 1.355818 | 0.001356 | 0.000001356 | 0.001818 | 0.001843 | 4.626243 | — | 1.355818 |
VA Volt-Ampere | 1 | 0.001 | 0.000001 | 0.001341 | 0.00136 | 3.412142 | 0.737562 | — |
Popular Power Conversions
Most-used toolsAbout Power Conversion
Power is the rate of energy use or transfer — the SI unit is the watt (W = 1 J/s), named after James Watt of steam-engine fame. This converter handles all major power units: SI standard (watt, kilowatt = 1,000 W, megawatt, gigawatt), traditional mechanical (horsepower = 745.7 W in American/British usage, metric horsepower = PS = 735.5 W in continental European usage), American thermal (BTU per hour for HVAC capacity, foot-pound per second), and electrical engineering (volt-ampere for AC apparent power). Reference values: a typical LED bulb is 8–12 W, a microwave oven is 1,000–1,500 W, an electric car motor is 100–500 kW, and a nuclear reactor is 1,000–1,600 MW. The kilowatt dominates European appliance and motor ratings, while horsepower remains entrenched in American/British automotive marketing despite SI's preference for the watt. Use power conversion for appliance ratings, vehicle engines, electrical systems, HVAC sizing, and engineering specifications.
Quick Power Conversion Tips
- Power and energy are different. Power (watts) is rate of energy transfer; energy (joules, kWh) is the total amount.
- 1 kW = 1.34 hp (mechanical) = 1.36 hp (metric, PS in Germany).
- Car engines: 80 kW typical city car; 200+ kW performance cars.
- Home consumption averages 0.3–0.5 kW continuous (EU).
Common Power Mistakes
- Treating kW (power) and kWh (energy) as interchangeable.
- Mixing mechanical horsepower (745.7 W) and metric horsepower (735.5 W).
- Using BTU (energy) instead of BTU/h (power) on HVAC specs.
- Confusing VA (apparent power) with W (real power) in electronics.