Power Converter

MiniWebtool’s Power Converter translates rates of energy transfer across electrical, mechanical, and heating units. Compare watts, horsepower definitions, BTU per hour, refrigeration tons, and related units with a visual scale.

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Help me understand MiniWebtool's Power Converter: https://miniwebtool.com/power-converter/. What can I use it for, what inputs or settings do I need, and how do I use it and understand the output? Walk me through one simple example. Use this page as your source and answer in English.

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Power ConverterTry it now — free ▼

1 hp on a log power scale: 745.69987 W, or 0.74569987 kW

Enter a power value and pick its unit. The result converts it into watts, kilowatts, horsepower and other power units.

⚡ Quick Examples:

1 hp 100 hp car 1 kW 12,000 BTU/h 1 Ton AC 1.21 GW ⚡

Enter a value in any field — all others update instantly!

💡 Watt W

🔌 Kilowatt kW

⚡ Megawatt MW

🌩️ Gigawatt GW

🐎 Horsepower (mech) hp

🐴 Horsepower (metric) PS

🔥 BTU per hour BTU/h

❄️ Ton of Refrigeration TR

⚙️ Foot-Pound per Second ft·lb/s

🧪 Calorie per Second cal/s

Power Conversion Result

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📊 Power Scale (Logarithmic: 1 W to 1 GW)

0 W

1 W 100 W 10 kW 1 MW 1 GW

🌍 Real-World Examples (click to try)

60 W

Incandescent bulb

1 hp

746 W motor

1.5 kW

Hair dryer

100 kW

Sports car (~134 hp)

1 MW

Wind turbine

1.21 GW

DeLorean time travel ⚡

📋 Complete Conversion Table

Unit	Symbol	Value	Copy

Embed Power Converter Widget

About Power Converter

Welcome to the Power Converter, a comprehensive tool for converting between 10 different power units including Watts, Kilowatts, Megawatts, Gigawatts, mechanical and metric Horsepower, BTU per hour, Ton of Refrigeration, Foot-Pound per Second, and Calories per Second. Whether you are working on HVAC systems, automotive engineering, electrical installations, or physics calculations, this converter provides instant, accurate conversions with real-world context.

At a Glance

Power Converter converts between 10 power units, including watts, kilowatts, megawatts, gigawatts, horsepower, BTU per hour and tons of refrigeration. Results update as you type, next to a visual power scale.

Power Converter: features at a glance
Feature	What you get	Good for
10 units	Watt, kilowatt, megawatt, gigawatt, mechanical horsepower, metric horsepower, BTU/h, ton of refrigeration, foot-pound per second and calorie per second.	Converting between electrical, mechanical and heating ratings
Two horsepowers	Mechanical hp equals 745.7 W and metric PS equals 735.5 W, so 100 PS is about 98.6 hp.	Comparing US and European engine ratings
HVAC units	BTU per hour and ton of refrigeration, where 1 TR is 3,516.85 W or 12,000 BTU/h.	Reading air conditioner and furnace ratings
Live conversion	Values update as you type, using the watt as the base unit.	Trying several values quickly
Power scale	A visual scale and real-world examples, from a phone charger to a power plant unit.	Judging how big a power figure is
Factor table	A table lists the watt equivalent of every supported unit.	Checking the factors behind a result

Understanding Power Units

Power is the rate at which energy is transferred or converted. It measures how quickly work is done. The SI unit of power is the Watt (W), named after Scottish engineer James Watt. Understanding different power units is essential for engineers, technicians, and anyone working with electrical systems, engines, or HVAC equipment.

SI Units: Watt Family

Watt (W): The base SI unit of power. One Watt equals one Joule per second (1 W = 1 J/s). A typical LED light bulb uses 10-15 W.
Kilowatt (kW): 1,000 Watts. Common for household appliances. A microwave uses about 1 kW.
Megawatt (MW): 1,000,000 Watts. Used for power plants and large industrial equipment.
Gigawatt (GW): 1,000,000,000 Watts. Used for measuring national power consumption and large power plants. As Doc Brown said, "1.21 gigawatts!"

Horsepower Variants

Horsepower Conversion

$$1 \text{ hp (mechanical)} = 745.7 \text{ W}$$ $$1 \text{ PS (metric hp)} = 735.5 \text{ W}$$

Mechanical Horsepower (hp): Defined by James Watt as 550 ft·lb/s or 745.7 W. Used in the US and UK for engines.
Metric Horsepower (PS): Also called "pferdestärke" in German or "cavalli vapore" in Italian. Equals 735.5 W. Used in Europe and Asia for automotive ratings.

Tip: When comparing car engines between US and European specifications, remember that a 100 PS engine is approximately 98.6 hp (mechanical).

HVAC and Thermal Units

BTU per hour (BTU/h): British Thermal Unit per hour. Common in North America for heating and cooling systems. 1 BTU/h = 0.293 W. A window AC unit is typically 5,000-12,000 BTU/h.
Ton of Refrigeration (TR): The cooling capacity to freeze one short ton (2,000 lbs) of ice in 24 hours. 1 TR = 3,516.85 W = 12,000 BTU/h. Home AC systems are typically 2-5 tons.

Other Power Units

Foot-Pound per Second (ft·lb/s): Imperial unit of power. 1 ft·lb/s = 1.356 W. Related to horsepower: 550 ft·lb/s = 1 hp.
Calorie per Second (cal/s): Thermal power unit. 1 cal/s = 4.184 W. Used in food science and thermal calculations.

Conversion Formulas

All conversions use the Watt as the base unit. To convert between any two units:

General Conversion Formula

$$\text{Value in Unit B} = \text{Value in Unit A} \times \frac{\text{Factor of A}}{\text{Factor of B}}$$

Quick Reference Factors

Power Converter: Quick Reference Factors
Unit	Symbol	Watts Equivalent
Watt	W	1
Kilowatt	kW	1,000
Megawatt	MW	1,000,000
Gigawatt	GW	1,000,000,000
Horsepower (mechanical)	hp	745.699872
Horsepower (metric)	PS	735.49875
BTU per hour	BTU/h	0.29307107
Ton of Refrigeration	TR	3,516.8528
Foot-Pound per Second	ft·lb/s	1.35581795
Calorie per Second	cal/s	4.184

Common Conversion Examples

1 hp to kW: 1 × 745.7 ÷ 1000 = 0.7457 kW
1 kW to hp: 1 × 1000 ÷ 745.7 = 1.341 hp
1 TR to BTU/h: 1 × 3516.85 ÷ 0.293 = 12,000 BTU/h
100 hp to kW: 100 × 745.7 ÷ 1000 = 74.57 kW
5000 BTU/h to Watts: 5000 × 0.293 = 1,465 W

Real-World Power Examples

Power Converter: Real-World Power Examples
Power	Example
1 W	Small LED standby light
10 W	Phone charger
60 W	Traditional incandescent light bulb
100 W	Bright LED light / laptop
746 W (1 hp)	Small motor / power tool
1-2 kW	Microwave, toaster, hair dryer
3-5 kW	Electric water heater, home peak use
100-200 kW	Sports car engine (134-268 hp)
300-600 kW	Formula 1 car / semi truck
1-3 MW	Wind turbine / small power plant
500 MW - 1 GW	Large power plant unit

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between mechanical and metric horsepower?

Mechanical horsepower (hp) equals 745.7 Watts and is used in the US and UK. Metric horsepower (PS or cv) equals 735.5 Watts and is used in Europe and Asia. The difference is about 1.4%, so 100 metric HP equals approximately 98.6 mechanical HP.

How many Watts are in a kilowatt?

There are exactly 1,000 Watts in 1 kilowatt. The prefix "kilo" means thousand, so 1 kW = 1,000 W. Similarly, 1 Megawatt (MW) = 1,000,000 W and 1 Gigawatt (GW) = 1,000,000,000 W.

What is a Ton of Refrigeration?

A Ton of Refrigeration (TR) is a unit of power used in HVAC systems, equal to 3,516.85 Watts or about 12,000 BTU/h. It represents the cooling capacity needed to freeze one short ton (2,000 lbs) of ice in 24 hours. A typical home AC unit is 2-5 tons.

What is BTU per hour used for?

BTU per hour (BTU/h) measures heating and cooling power in HVAC systems, particularly in North America. 1 BTU/h equals 0.293 Watts. Air conditioners, furnaces, and water heaters are commonly rated in BTU/h. A window AC unit might be 5,000-12,000 BTU/h.

How much power does a typical home use?

Average US household electricity consumption is about 30 kWh per day, which averages 1.25 kW continuously. Peak demand can reach 5-10 kW when multiple appliances run simultaneously. A 200-amp service provides about 48 kW maximum capacity.

Related Concepts

Energy vs Power: Power is the rate of energy transfer. Energy = Power × Time. A 100 W light bulb running for 10 hours uses 1 kWh of energy.
Torque vs Power: In engines, Power = Torque × Angular Velocity. More horsepower means faster acceleration; more torque means better pulling power.
Electrical Power: P = V × I (Power = Voltage × Current) for DC circuits, or P = V × I × PF for AC circuits where PF is the power factor.

Additional Resources

Reference this content, page, or tool as:

"Power Converter" at https://MiniWebtool.com/power-converter/ from MiniWebtool, https://MiniWebtool.com/

by miniwebtool team. Updated: Feb 05, 2026

Developer API available: Run this tool from your app, automation, or agent with one JSON HTTP request. View API docs

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