About the Power Converter
Power is how fast energy is delivered — not how much energy, but how quickly. Convert between watts (W), kilowatts (kW), megawatts (MW), mechanical horsepower (hp), metric horsepower (PS / CV), and BTU per hour. Useful when comparing appliance ratings, sizing a generator, looking at HVAC specs, working out whether a hair dryer will trip the breaker on a European 16 A circuit, or translating a European car's PS rating into US horsepower.
How to use it
- Choose the source power unit and the target power unit.
- Type a value — the result appears instantly.
- Keep in mind that mechanical hp (745.7 W) and metric hp / PS (735.5 W) are slightly different.
Common power conversions
| 1 mechanical horsepower (hp) | 745.7 W |
| 1 metric horsepower (PS / CV) | 735.5 W |
| 1 kW | 1.341 hp ≈ 1.36 PS |
| 1 BTU/hour | 0.293 W |
| 1 ton of cooling (HVAC) | 12,000 BTU/hr = 3.517 kW |
| Typical incandescent bulb | 60 W |
| Typical LED bulb | 8 W |
| Microwave oven | ≈ 1,000 W (1 kW) |
| Family-sized EV motor | ≈ 150 kW (200 hp) |
Frequently asked questions
- Why is metric horsepower different from US horsepower?
- James Watt's original definition (1782) was 33,000 foot-pounds per minute = 745.7 watts. Continental Europe re-derived the unit in metric terms as the power needed to lift 75 kilograms one meter in one second = 735.5 watts. Both are still in use — 'PS' or 'CV' on European cars, 'hp' on American ones — and they differ by about 1.4%.
- What's the difference between a watt and a watt-hour?
- A watt is power — the rate of energy use. A watt-hour is energy — power × time. A 100 W lightbulb burning for one hour uses 100 watt-hours of energy. Your electricity bill is in kilowatt-hours (kWh), which is the energy a 1,000 W appliance uses in one hour.
- Will a 1,500 W American appliance work on a European 230 V circuit?
- Only with a step-down transformer rated for that wattage, and only if the appliance handles 50 Hz instead of 60 Hz. Heating appliances (kettles, hair dryers) are particularly bad about voltage — a 120 V heater plugged into 230 V will pull about 4× its rated power and burn out. Always check the appliance label for 'Input: 100-240 V' before traveling.
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