Power Converter
Rate of energy - watts to horsepower.
Enter a value above to convert between kW and hp.
How to convert power units
Power is based on the watt (one watt is one joule per second). One kilowatt is 1,000 W. Two kinds of "horsepower" exist: mechanical horsepower is 745.7 W and metric horsepower (PS) is 735.5 W - close but not equal, so the tool labels both.
Worked example
100 mechanical horsepower is 100 × 745.6998716 = 74,570 W = 74.57 kW. Conversely, one kilowatt is 1.341 hp.
How many watts are in one horsepower?
One mechanical horsepower equals 745.6998716 watts. One metric horsepower (PS) equals 735.49875 watts, one kilowatt equals 1,000 watts, and one BTU per hour equals 0.293071 watts.
When you'll use a power converter
Power conversion comes up with car and engine output (horsepower, PS, kilowatts), appliances and motors (watts, kilowatts), HVAC (BTU per hour), and electrical work. The table above lists your value in all 6 supported units at once.
Common power conversions
Quick-reference rates for common power conversions - watts, kilowatts, megawatts, horsepower and BTU/h, one unit at a time.
| From | To |
|---|---|
| 1 kilowatt (kW) | 1.341 hp |
| 1 horsepower (mech) (hp) | 0.7457 kW |
| 1 kilowatt (kW) | 1,000 W |
| 1 watt (W) | 0.001 kW |
| 1 megawatt (MW) | 1,000 kW |
| 1 horsepower (mech) (hp) | 745.6999 W |
| 1 horsepower (metric) (PS) | 735.4987 W |
| 1 kilowatt (kW) | 1.3596 PS |
| 1 horsepower (metric) (PS) | 0.9863 hp |
| 1 kilowatt (kW) | 3,412.1416 BTU/h |
| 1 horsepower (mech) (hp) | 2,544.4336 BTU/h |
Frequently asked questions
How many kilowatts are in one horsepower?
One mechanical horsepower equals 0.7457 kilowatts, since 1 hp is 745.6998716 watts and 1 kW is 1,000 watts. To go from horsepower to kilowatts, multiply the horsepower figure by 0.7457.
How do I convert kilowatts to horsepower?
Divide the kilowatt value by 0.7457, which is the same as multiplying by 1.34102. For example, 75 kW is about 100.6 mechanical horsepower.
Is mechanical horsepower bigger than metric horsepower?
Yes. Mechanical horsepower (hp) is 745.6998716 watts while metric horsepower (PS) is 735.49875 watts, so 1 hp equals roughly 1.0139 PS. Mechanical horsepower is about 1.4 percent larger.
How many watts are in one BTU per hour?
One BTU per hour equals 0.2930710702 watts. Going the other way, one watt is about 3.4121 BTU per hour, so 1 kilowatt is roughly 3,412 BTU per hour.
How many kilowatts are in a megawatt?
One megawatt equals 1,000 kilowatts, or 1,000,000 watts. A megawatt also equals about 1,341 mechanical horsepower.
What is a watt?
A watt is the SI base unit of power, defined as one joule of energy transferred per second. It measures how fast energy is used or produced, and every other unit on this page is referenced back to the watt.
Popular power conversions
Quick links to popular power conversions - tap any pair to open the converter ready to go.