{"id":66740,"date":"2026-10-13T08:52:02","date_gmt":"2026-10-13T05:52:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wpcalc.com\/en\/?p=66740"},"modified":"2026-10-13T08:52:02","modified_gmt":"2026-10-13T05:52:02","slug":"power-unit-converter","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wpcalc.com\/en\/converters\/power-unit-converter\/","title":{"rendered":"Power Unit Converter"},"content":{"rendered":"<section class=\"not-prose calculator-box\" aria-labelledby=\"calculator-title\"><div class=\"flex items-baseline sm:items-center justify-between gap-2 sm:gap-3\"><div class=\"flex flex-col sm:flex-row sm:items-center gap-2\"><span class=\"icon icon-calculator text-primary-700! text-base! dark:text-primary-300!\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/span><h2 id=\"calculator-title\" class=\"text-lg font-display font-bold\">Convert Power Units<\/h2><\/div><div class=\"calcdash-favorite group\">\n  <button type=\"button\" class=\"favorite\" id=\"favorite\" data-favorite-id=\"66740\" data-favorite-title=\"Power Units\" data-favorite-url=\"https:\/\/wpcalc.com\/en\/converters\/power-unit-converter\/\" data-favorite-excerpt=\"Convert power values between watts, kilowatts, megawatts, milliwatts, horsepower (hp and PS), BTU per hour, foot-pounds per second, and kilocalories per hour. Enter a value, pick the units, and get an instant result.\" aria-label=\"Add to Favorites\" data-favorite-icon=\"icon icon-physic\">\n    <span class=\"icon icon-shape-star-empty\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/span>\n  <\/button>\n  <div class=\"calcdash-favorite__tip\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\n   <span class=\"favorite-tooltip\" id=\"favorite-tooltip\"><\/span>\n  <\/div>\n  <span class=\"sr-only\" role=\"status\" id=\"favorite-status\"><\/span>\n<\/div><\/div><form action=\"https:\/\/wpcalc.com\/en\/converters\/power-unit-converter\/\" method=\"POST\" class=\"calculator\" id=\"calculator-66740\" data-post=\"66740\"><fieldset class=\"fieldset-input is-1\"><legend class=\"sr-only\">Input Fields<\/legend><div class=\"field\" id=\"input-1\"><label for=\"field-1\">Power value<\/label><input type=\"text\" name=\"power_value\" id=\"field-1\" aria-describedby=\"calc-info-1\" data-number inputmode=\"decimal\" autocomplete=\"off\" spellcheck=\"false\" min=\"0\" value=\"1000\"\/><small id=\"calc-info-1\">Enter the power value to convert<\/small><\/div><div class=\"field\" id=\"input-2\"><label for=\"field-2\">From unit<\/label><div class=\"grid grid-cols-1\"><select id=\"field-2\" name=\"from_unit\"><option value=\"W\" selected>Watt (W)<\/option><option value=\"kW\">Kilowatt (kW)<\/option><option value=\"MW\">Megawatt (MW)<\/option><option value=\"mW\">Milliwatt (mW)<\/option><option value=\"hp\">Horsepower (hp, mechanical)<\/option><option value=\"PS\">Metric horsepower (PS)<\/option><option value=\"BTUh\">BTU per hour (BTU\/h)<\/option><option value=\"BTUmin\">BTU per minute (BTU\/min)<\/option><option value=\"ftlbfs\">Foot-pound-force per second (ft\u00b7lbf\/s)<\/option><option value=\"calh\">Kilocalorie per hour (kcal\/h)<\/option><\/select><svg class=\"pointer-events-none col-start-1 row-start-1 mr-2 size-5 self-center justify-self-end text-gray-500 sm:size-4\" viewBox=\"0 0 16 16\" fill=\"currentColor\" aria-hidden=\"true\" data-slot=\"icon\">\n              <path fill-rule=\"evenodd\" d=\"M4.22 6.22a.75.75 0 0 1 1.06 0L8 8.94l2.72-2.72a.75.75 0 1 1 1.06 1.06l-3.25 3.25a.75.75 0 0 1-1.06 0L4.22 7.28a.75.75 0 0 1 0-1.06Z\" clip-rule=\"evenodd\" \/>\n            <\/svg><\/div><\/div><div class=\"field\" id=\"input-3\"><label for=\"field-3\">To unit<\/label><div class=\"grid grid-cols-1\"><select id=\"field-3\" name=\"to_unit\"><option value=\"W\">Watt (W)<\/option><option value=\"kW\">Kilowatt (kW)<\/option><option value=\"MW\">Megawatt (MW)<\/option><option value=\"mW\">Milliwatt (mW)<\/option><option value=\"hp\" selected>Horsepower (hp, mechanical)<\/option><option value=\"PS\">Metric horsepower (PS)<\/option><option value=\"BTUh\">BTU per hour (BTU\/h)<\/option><option value=\"BTUmin\">BTU per minute (BTU\/min)<\/option><option value=\"ftlbfs\">Foot-pound-force per second (ft\u00b7lbf\/s)<\/option><option value=\"calh\">Kilocalorie per hour (kcal\/h)<\/option><\/select><svg class=\"pointer-events-none col-start-1 row-start-1 mr-2 size-5 self-center justify-self-end text-gray-500 sm:size-4\" viewBox=\"0 0 16 16\" fill=\"currentColor\" aria-hidden=\"true\" data-slot=\"icon\">\n              <path fill-rule=\"evenodd\" d=\"M4.22 6.22a.75.75 0 0 1 1.06 0L8 8.94l2.72-2.72a.75.75 0 1 1 1.06 1.06l-3.25 3.25a.75.75 0 0 1-1.06 0L4.22 7.28a.75.75 0 0 1 0-1.06Z\" clip-rule=\"evenodd\" \/>\n            <\/svg><\/div><\/div><\/fieldset><div class=\"buttons\"><button type=\"submit\" data-text=\"Re-Calculate\" id=\"calculate-button\" data-post=\"66740\">Calculate<\/button><button type=\"reset\">Reset<\/button><\/div><div class=\"field is-checkbox hidden!\" id=\"field-auto-calc\"><input type=\"checkbox\" id=\"auto-calc\"><label for=\"auto-calc\">Calculate automatically<\/label><small>If enabled, the result will update automatically when you change any value.<\/small><\/div><div class=\"fieldset-result is-hidden\" aria-labelledby=\"result-title\" aria-live=\"polite\" role=\"region\"> <h3 class=\"result-title bg-gradient-to-r from-primary-50 to-gray-50 dark:from-primary-900 dark:to-gray-800\" id=\"result-title\"><span class=\"icon icon-s-pulse\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/span> Your Results<\/h3><div class=\"result-box\"><div class=\"field-result\" id=\"output-1\"><span class=\"field-title\"><span>Converted Power<\/span><\/span><span class=\"field-value\" id=\"result-1\"><\/span><button type=\"button\" class=\"copy-result\" data-tooltip=\"Copy Result\" aria-label=\"Copy Result\"><span class=\"copy-icon icon icon-document-copy\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/span><\/button><\/div><\/div><div class=\"result-actions\"><button type=\"button\" class=\"copy-link\"><svg viewBox=\"0 0 20 20\" fill=\"currentColor\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><path d=\"M12.232 4.232a2.5 2.5 0 0 1 3.536 3.536l-1.225 1.224a.75.75 0 0 0 1.061 1.06l1.224-1.224a4 4 0 0 0-5.656-5.656l-3 3a4 4 0 0 0 .225 5.865.75.75 0 0 0 .977-1.138 2.5 2.5 0 0 1-.142-3.667l3-3Z\"\/><path d=\"M11.603 7.963a.75.75 0 0 0-.977 1.138 2.5 2.5 0 0 1 .142 3.667l-3 3a2.5 2.5 0 0 1-3.536-3.536l1.225-1.224a.75.75 0 0 0-1.061-1.06l-1.224 1.224a4 4 0 1 0 5.656 5.656l3-3a4 4 0 0 0-.225-5.865Z\"\/><\/svg><span class=\"copy-link__text\">Copy link to this calculation<\/span><\/button><span class=\"sr-only\" role=\"status\" id=\"copy-link-status\"><\/span><\/div><\/div><a href=\"#respond\" class=\"hidden transition-opacity duration-300 opacity-0 w-50 text-sm justify-center items-center gap-2 px-4 py-2 rounded bg-gray-200 text-gray-700 hover:bg-gray-300\" id=\"leave-comment\"><span class=\"icon icon-comments\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/span>Leave a Comment<\/a><\/form><\/section><section id=\"calc-reactions\" class=\"not-prose hidden my-12 bg-gradient-to-r from-primary-50 to-gray-50 border border-indigo-100 rounded-xl px-6 py-4 shadow-sm\" data-post=\"66740\" aria-live=\"polite\" aria-labelledby=\"calc-reactions-title\"><p id=\"calc-reactions-title\" class=\"text-sm text-gray-500 text-center mb-2\">How did this result make you feel?<\/p><div role=\"group\" aria-labelledby=\"calc-reactions-title\" class=\"grid grid-cols-3 sm:flex sm:flex-row sm:justify-around gap-4 sm:items-center sm:flex-wrap\"><button type=\"button\" aria-pressed=\"false\" class=\"reaction-btn flex flex-col items-center gap-1 text-sm text-gray-700 hover:text-primary-600 cursor-pointer transition-transform hover:scale-105\" data-reaction=\"like\"><span class=\"reaction-count\" data-reaction-count=\"like\">0<\/span><span class=\"reaction text-3xl\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\ud83d\ude00 <\/span><span class=\"reaction-description font-medium\">Like <\/span><\/button><button type=\"button\" aria-pressed=\"false\" class=\"reaction-btn flex flex-col items-center gap-1 text-sm text-gray-700 hover:text-primary-600 cursor-pointer transition-transform hover:scale-105\" data-reaction=\"helpful\"><span class=\"reaction-count\" data-reaction-count=\"helpful\">0<\/span><span class=\"reaction text-3xl\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\ud83d\udca1 <\/span><span class=\"reaction-description font-medium\">Helpful <\/span><\/button><button type=\"button\" aria-pressed=\"false\" class=\"reaction-btn flex flex-col items-center gap-1 text-sm text-gray-700 hover:text-primary-600 cursor-pointer transition-transform hover:scale-105\" data-reaction=\"confused\"><span class=\"reaction-count\" data-reaction-count=\"confused\">0<\/span><span class=\"reaction text-3xl\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\ud83d\ude15 <\/span><span class=\"reaction-description font-medium\">Confused <\/span><\/button><button type=\"button\" aria-pressed=\"false\" class=\"reaction-btn flex flex-col items-center gap-1 text-sm text-gray-700 hover:text-primary-600 cursor-pointer transition-transform hover:scale-105\" data-reaction=\"disappointed\"><span class=\"reaction-count\" data-reaction-count=\"disappointed\">0<\/span><span class=\"reaction text-3xl\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\ud83d\ude1e <\/span><span class=\"reaction-description font-medium\">Disappointed <\/span><\/button><button type=\"button\" aria-pressed=\"false\" class=\"reaction-btn flex flex-col items-center gap-1 text-sm text-gray-700 hover:text-primary-600 cursor-pointer transition-transform hover:scale-105\" data-reaction=\"inaccurate\"><span class=\"reaction-count\" data-reaction-count=\"inaccurate\">1<\/span><span class=\"reaction text-3xl\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\u274c <\/span><span class=\"reaction-description font-medium\">Inaccurate <\/span><\/button><\/div><div id=\"reaction-message\" class=\"hidden mt-8 rounded-md border border-primary-100 bg-white\/50 backdrop-blur-sm px-4 py-2 text-sm text-center shadow-sm\"><\/div><\/section><div class=\"calcdash-ad not-prose calcdash-ad--calc_result calcdash-ad--in-article\"><ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display:block\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-1721569815777345\" data-ad-slot=\"6317458308\" data-ad-layout=\"in-article\" data-ad-format=\"fluid\"><\/ins><script>(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});<\/script><\/div>\n<style id=\"wpcoderpro-inline-1\">.formula-box {\r\n\tborder-bottom: none !important;\r\n}<\/style><section class=\"formula-box\" aria-labelledby=\"formula-title\">\r\n\t<div id=\"formula-title\" class=\"not-prose font-display mb-4\"><span class=\"icon icon-formula\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/span><h2>Power Units Formula<\/h2><\/div>\r\n\t<figure class=\"not-prose formula\">\r\n\t\t<figcaption class=\"formula-title\">Formula<\/figcaption>\r\n\t\t<div class=\"text-base text-gray-800\" id=\"formula\">\n\\[ P_{\\text{target}} = P_{\\text{source}} \\times \\frac{f_{\\text{source}}}{f_{\\text{target}}} \\]\n<\/div>\r\n\t<\/figure>\r\n\t<\/p>\n<p><strong>Where:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\\(P_{\\text{source}}\\) \u2014 the power value you enter, in the source unit<\/li>\n<li>\\(f_{\\text{source}}\\) \u2014 conversion factor of the source unit to watts (W)<\/li>\n<li>\\(f_{\\text{target}}\\) \u2014 conversion factor of the target unit to watts (W)<\/li>\n<li>\\(P_{\\text{target}}\\) \u2014 the converted power value, in the target unit<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The calculator first converts the entered value into the base unit (the watt) and then divides by the factor of the target unit. This two-step method lets any of the ten supported units be converted into any other with a single multiplication and division.<\/p>\n<p>\r\n<\/section>\n<style id=\"wpcoderpro-inline-459\">.calculation-box {\r\n\tborder-bottom: none !important;\r\n}<\/style><section id=\"calculation\" class=\"calculation-box\" aria-labelledby=\"calculation-title\">\r\n\t<div id=\"calculation-title\" class=\"not-prose font-display\"><span class=\"icon icon-unordered-list\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/span><h2>Power Units \u2013 Calculation Example<\/h2><\/div>\r\n\r\n<\/p>\n<p><strong>Example:<\/strong> convert 1000 W (the power of a small electric heater) into mechanical horsepower.<\/p>\n<p>\\[ f_{\\text{W}} = 1, \\quad f_{\\text{hp}} = 745.699872 \\]<\/p>\n<p>\\[ P_{\\text{hp}} = 1000 \\times \\frac{1}{745.699872} = 1.341022089 \\]<\/p>\n<p><strong>Result:<\/strong> 1000 W \u2248 1.341022089 hp. In other words, a 1 kW device delivers about 1.34 mechanical horsepower.<\/p>\n<p>\n\r\n<\/section>\n<h2>How to use the calculator<\/h2>\n<ol>\n<li>Enter the power value you want to convert in the <strong>Power value<\/strong> field (the default is 1000).<\/li>\n<li>Choose the unit you are converting <em>from<\/em> in the <strong>From unit<\/strong> dropdown \u2014 watts, kilowatts, megawatts, milliwatts, mechanical horsepower, metric horsepower (PS), BTU\/h, BTU\/min, ft\u00b7lbf\/s, or kcal\/h.<\/li>\n<li>Choose the unit you want to convert <em>to<\/em> in the <strong>To unit<\/strong> dropdown.<\/li>\n<li>Read the result in the <strong>Converted Power<\/strong> field. The value updates automatically whenever you change an input.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h2>What is power and why convert its units?<\/h2>\n<p>Power is the rate at which energy is transferred or work is done. The SI unit is the watt (W), defined as one joule of energy per second. Because practical applications span an enormous range \u2014 from microwatts in sensors to gigawatts in power plants \u2014 many multiples and alternative units have evolved, and converting between them is a daily task in engineering, HVAC, automotive work, and energy billing.<\/p>\n<p>Different industries favor different units. Electrical and heating engineers work in watts and kilowatts; American HVAC specifications are often quoted in BTU per hour; car engines are rated in horsepower (hp) in the US and UK, or metric horsepower (PS, from the German <em>Pferdest\u00e4rke<\/em>) in Europe; and heating systems in some countries are sized in kilocalories per hour. When a specification sheet uses one unit and your calculation needs another, this converter closes the gap instantly and without arithmetic errors.<\/p>\n<p>Note that the two horsepower units are not the same: 1 mechanical (imperial) horsepower equals 745.699872 W, while 1 metric horsepower (PS) equals only 735.49875 W \u2014 a difference of about 1.4%. A 150 PS European engine therefore produces about 147.6 hp, not 150 hp. Confusing the two is one of the most common mistakes in power conversion.<\/p>\n<h2>Conversion factors used<\/h2>\n<p>All units are converted through the watt, using these exact factors:<\/p>\n<table>\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th>Unit<\/th>\n<th>Symbol<\/th>\n<th>Value in watts (W)<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>Watt<\/td>\n<td>W<\/td>\n<td>1<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Kilowatt<\/td>\n<td>kW<\/td>\n<td>1 000<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Megawatt<\/td>\n<td>MW<\/td>\n<td>1 000 000<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Milliwatt<\/td>\n<td>mW<\/td>\n<td>0.001<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Mechanical horsepower<\/td>\n<td>hp<\/td>\n<td>745.699872<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Metric horsepower<\/td>\n<td>PS<\/td>\n<td>735.49875<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>BTU per hour (IT)<\/td>\n<td>BTU\/h<\/td>\n<td>0.29307107<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>BTU per minute (IT)<\/td>\n<td>BTU\/min<\/td>\n<td>17.5842642<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Foot-pound-force per second<\/td>\n<td>ft\u00b7lbf\/s<\/td>\n<td>1.355817948<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Kilocalorie per hour<\/td>\n<td>kcal\/h<\/td>\n<td>1.163<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<h2>Assumptions, limitations and tips<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>BTU convention:<\/strong> the calculator uses the International Table (IT) British thermal unit. Older US tables may differ by roughly 0.06%, which matters only at very high precision.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Horsepower type:<\/strong> only mechanical (imperial) horsepower and metric horsepower (PS) are supported. Boiler horsepower (\u2248 9 810 W) and electrical horsepower (746 W exactly) are intentionally excluded.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Instantaneous vs. per-hour units:<\/strong> watts, hp and ft\u00b7lbf\/s describe instantaneous power, while BTU\/h and kcal\/h describe energy per hour. They are still all rates of energy transfer and convert directly into one another.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Negative values<\/strong> are rejected, since the tool is designed for magnitude conversions. If you need to indicate power flow direction, keep the sign separately.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Quick sanity checks:<\/strong> 1 kW \u2248 1.341 hp \u2248 1.36 PS \u2248 3 412 BTU\/h; 1 MW = 1 000 kW; 1 hp \u2248 2 545 BTU\/h.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Power often appears together with rotation and heat. If your project also involves rotating machinery, try our <a href=\"https:\/\/wpcalc.com\/en\/converters\/torque\/\">Torque Converter<\/a> or the <a href=\"https:\/\/wpcalc.com\/en\/converters\/angular-velocity-converter-rpm-to-rad-s\/\">Angular Velocity Converter<\/a>; for thermal applications, the <a href=\"https:\/\/wpcalc.com\/en\/converters\/thermal-conductivity\/\">Thermal Conductivity Converter<\/a> and the <a href=\"https:\/\/wpcalc.com\/en\/converters\/viscosity-units-converter\/\">Viscosity Converter<\/a> cover the remaining unit conversions you may need.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Convert power values between watts, kilowatts, megawatts, milliwatts, horsepower (hp and PS), BTU per hour, foot-pounds per second, and kilocalories per hour. Enter a value, pick the units, and get an instant result.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3168,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[34],"class_list":["post-66740","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-converters","tag-physics-units"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wpcalc.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/66740","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wpcalc.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wpcalc.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpcalc.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3168"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpcalc.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=66740"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/wpcalc.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/66740\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":66741,"href":"https:\/\/wpcalc.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/66740\/revisions\/66741"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wpcalc.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=66740"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpcalc.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=66740"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpcalc.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=66740"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}