Power Converter
Convert power between watts, kilowatts, megawatts, mechanical and metric horsepower, and BTU per hour. Type a value and see it in every unit at once, exactly. A free power converter that runs in your browser.
Read a power rating in the unit a spec sheet uses. Convert horsepower to kilowatts for a car, watts to kW for an appliance, or BTU per hour to kilowatts for an air conditioner, all from one figure. It even separates mechanical from metric horsepower, which are not quite the same.
- Exact, standard factors
- 100% free
- No sign-up, no app
- Instant as you type
- Works offline after first load
1 kW in every unit
How to use it
- 1
Enter a value
Type the power you have, such as 150 hp or 2 kW.
- 2
Set the units
Choose what you are converting from and to, including which kind of horsepower.
- 3
Read the rest
See watts, kilowatts, horsepower and BTU/h together, and copy the one you need.
When it comes in handy
Cars and engines
Convert horsepower to kilowatts, or between mechanical and metric horsepower, when specs use different units.
Appliances and solar
Switch device or panel ratings between watts and kilowatts.
Heating and cooling
Convert BTU per hour to kilowatts when comparing air conditioners and heaters.
Instant, exact & 100% in your browser
The conversion runs right here in your browser using exact, standard factors. Nothing you type is sent to a server, there is no sign-up and no limit, and once the page has loaded it keeps working even with no connection.
Frequently asked questions
- How many watts are in one horsepower?
- Mechanical horsepower, the common one for engines, is about 745.7 watts. Metric horsepower, used in much of Europe and often written PS or CV, is slightly less at about 735.5 watts. The small difference is why the same engine can be quoted with two slightly different horsepower numbers.
- What is the difference between mechanical and metric horsepower?
- They are two definitions of the same idea that came from different measuring systems. Mechanical (imperial) horsepower is about 745.7 watts; metric horsepower is about 735.5 watts, roughly 1.4 percent smaller. Car makers in metric countries usually quote metric horsepower or PS.
- How do I convert BTU per hour to kilowatts?
- Divide BTU per hour by about 3,412 to get kilowatts, so a 12,000 BTU/h air conditioner is about 3.5 kW. Cooling and heating gear is often rated in BTU/h, while electricity is billed in kW, which is why this conversion comes up when sizing a unit.
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