All Calculators
Home / Power Converter

Power Converter

Convert between watts, kilowatts, megawatts, horsepower (metric & mechanical), BTU/hour, and foot-pounds per second

About the Power Converter

The Power Converter handles conversions between seven power units: watts, kilowatts, megawatts, metric horsepower, mechanical horsepower, BTU per hour, and foot-pounds per second. Using watts as the base unit, it applies standard engineering conversion factors. Both metric horsepower (735.5 W) and mechanical horsepower (745.7 W) are included to accommodate different international standards.

Power conversion is essential in engineering, automotive specifications, HVAC sizing, and electrical system design. Understanding the relationships between these units allows you to compare equipment ratings across different measurement systems and applications.

How to Use This Calculator

  1. Enter the power value in the "From" input field.
  2. Select the unit of your input from the "From Unit" dropdown.
  3. Select the target unit from the "To Unit" dropdown.
  4. Click "Convert" to see the result and additional notes.

FAQs

What is the difference between metric and mechanical horsepower?

Metric horsepower (PS or CV) is defined as 75 kgf·m/s, equal to 735.49875 watts. Mechanical horsepower (HP or imperial) is defined as 550 ft·lb/s, equal to 745.699872 watts. Mechanical horsepower is about 1.4% larger. Metric horsepower is used in Europe and Asia, while mechanical horsepower is common in the US and UK.

How do I convert BTU/hour to watts?

One BTU per hour equals approximately 0.293071 watts. To convert BTU/h to watts, multiply by 0.293071. To convert watts to BTU/h, divide by 0.293071 or multiply by 3.41214. This conversion is commonly used when comparing heating and cooling equipment ratings.