About Kilowatts (kW)

The kilowatt (symbol: kW) is a unit of power in the International System of Units (SI). It is equal to one thousand watts (1 kW = 1000 W). The watt, and therefore the kilowatt, is defined as one joule per second.

The kilowatt is a widely used unit for expressing the power of engines, tools, machines, heaters, and electrical generators or consumers. It provides a convenient scale for many common power ratings, larger than individual watts but smaller than megawatts or gigawatts used for power plants or national grids.

Kilowatts are frequently used for:

• Power ratings of electric motors and appliances (e.g., heaters, air conditioners, ovens).
• Output of internal combustion engines (often alongside horsepower).
• Power consumption of households or businesses (measured in kilowatt-hours for energy).
• Charging capacity of electric vehicle chargers.
• Solar panel system output.

• 1 kilowatt (kW) = 1,000 watts (W)
• 1 kilowatt (kW) = 1,000 joules per second (J/s)
• 1 kilowatt (kW) ≈ 1.341 mechanical horsepower (hp(I))
• 1 kilowatt (kW) ≈ 1.3596 metric horsepower (PS)
• 1 kilowatt (kW) ≈ 3412.14 BTU (IT) per hour

To help visualize a kilowatt:

• A typical electric kettle might be rated at 1-3 kW.
• A small electric space heater could be 1-2 kW.
• A residential air conditioning unit might use 1-5 kW.
• The average power consumption of a home can be a few kilowatts at peak times.
• A small car engine might produce 50-150 kW.