Kilowatt to BTU per Hour

Free instant kilowatt to btu per hour converter. 1 kW = 3412.14 BTU/h.

3412.14
Formula
1 kW = 3412.14 BTU/h

Common Kilowatt to BTU per Hour values

Common Kilowatt to BTU per Hour conversion values.
Kilowatt (kW)BTU per Hour (BTU/h)
13412.14
517060.7
1034121.4
2585303.5
50170607
100341214
5001706070
10003412140

How does Kilowatt to BTU per Hour conversion work?

Type a value in the Kilowatt (kW) field and the equivalent in BTU per Hour (BTU/h) appears instantly to the right. The math uses the exact formula shown above โ€” no rounding errors, no approximations beyond standard floating-point precision. Use the swap button to flip the units and see the inverse conversion.

Kilowatt. One thousand watts. A typical home AC unit is 2-4 kW; an EV fast charger is 50-350 kW.

BTU per Hour. The standard for HVAC equipment. A "12,000 BTU/h" AC unit = 1 ton of cooling = 3.52 kW.

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๐ŸŽฏ Accurate conversions

Conversion factors come from the official standard (NIST, BIPM, ISO definitions where applicable). Values are precise to standard floating-point limits.

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How it works โ€” the formula

1 W = 1 J/s 1 kW = 1,000 W 1 mechanical HP = 745.6998715822702 W (exact, per IEEE/ISO definition) 1 metric HP (PS) = 735.49875 W 1 BTU/h = 0.29307107 W

Power is energy per unit time. The SI unit is the watt (1 W = 1 J/s). The "horsepower" exists in several definitions: mechanical (US imperial, 550 ftยทlbf/s = 745.6998... W) is standard for US car engines; metric (PS / DIN-PS, 735.49875 W) for European specifications; electrical (746 W exact) for motor nameplates. BTU per hour is the standard for HVAC and heating equipment, with 1 BTU/h โ‰ˆ 0.293 W. ISO 80000-5 codifies these definitions.

Worked examples

Example 1
Car engine
Inputs:
200 HP = ? kW
Output:
200 ร— 745.6998... = 149.14 kW
Example 2
HVAC unit
Inputs:
12,000 BTU/h = ? kW
Output:
12,000 ร— 0.29307107 = 3.517 kW (โ‰ˆ "1 ton" of cooling)
Example 3
Toaster
Inputs:
1.5 kW = ? BTU/h
Output:
1500 / 0.29307107 โ‰ˆ 5,118 BTU/h

Limitations

  • Three "horsepower" variants โ€” mechanical (US car), metric (PS, EU car), electrical (motor nameplate) โ€” differ by ~1.4%; pick the right one for context.
  • Boiler horsepower (used in steam-engine ratings) is yet another unit: 1 bhp โ‰ˆ 9,809.5 W โ€” about 13ร— mechanical HP. Not modeled.
  • BTU/h and tonne-of-refrigeration (1 ton โ‰ˆ 12,000 BTU/h โ‰ˆ 3.517 kW) are HVAC industry units.
  • Audio "watts RMS" and "peak watts" are marketing terms, not converter inputs โ€” use the spec's sustained continuous power.

Conversions are exact rational arithmetic between watt-defined units; horsepower variant selection affects results by up to 1.4% โ€” verify which definition matches your source.

Frequently asked

What is the formula for converting Kilowatt to BTU per Hour?+
The formula is: 1 kW = 3412.14 BTU/h. Type any value into the calculator above and the result appears instantly.
How do I convert BTU per Hour back to Kilowatt?+
Click the swap button (โ‡„) above to go to the BTU per Hour โ†’ Kilowatt converter, or use the inverse formula derived from the one shown.
How accurate is the conversion?+
Conversion factors used here are exact rational values from NIST SP 811 and the BIPM SI brochure (e.g. 1 ft = 0.3048 m exactly, 1 lb = 0.45359237 kg exactly). Trailing-digit differences vs hand calculation come only from binary floating-point representation, never from the conversion factor itself.
Where do these conversion factors come from?+
Length and mass factors come from the 1959 international yard-and-pound agreement; SI base units (metre, kilogram, second, kelvin) come from the 2019 BIPM redefinition; energy and pressure factors are NIST SP 811 reference values. Each editorial section above lists the specific source for that category.
Can I copy the conversion factor for use elsewhere?+
Yes. The factor in the formula above is the exact rational value used internally; copying it into Excel or another tool reproduces the result to floating-point precision.

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