In electrical systems, apparent power (kVA) is the total power supplied, while real power (kW) is the portion actually doing useful work — and the difference depends on the power factor. Enter your Apparent Power in kVA and your Power Factor (0 to 1) into the kVA to kW Calculator to get the Real Power in kW. Secondary outputs include Reactive Power (kVAR) and your power factor expressed as a percentage.
Real Power
--
Reactive Power
--
Power Factor (%)
--
kVA (kilovolt-amps) measures apparent power, while kW (kilowatts) measures real power. kVA includes both real power that does useful work and reactive power that doesn't. The relationship between them is determined by the power factor.
To convert kVA to kW, multiply the apparent power (kVA) by the power factor (PF). The formula is: kW = kVA × Power Factor. For example, 50 kVA × 0.8 PF = 40 kW.
Power factor is the ratio of real power to apparent power, ranging from 0 to 1. It indicates how efficiently electrical power is being used. A higher power factor means more efficient use of electrical power and lower energy costs.
Typical power factor values range from 0.7 to 0.95 for most electrical equipment. Motors typically have power factors between 0.8-0.9, while resistive loads like heaters have a power factor of 1.0.
kW represents the real power component of kVA. Since power factor is always between 0 and 1, kW = kVA × PF will always be less than or equal to kVA. They are only equal when the power factor is 1.0 (purely resistive load).
This conversion is essential for electrical system design, equipment sizing, energy billing, and calculating actual power consumption. Utilities often rate equipment in kVA, but you need kW to determine actual power usage and costs.
Low power factor means more apparent power (kVA) is required to deliver the same real power (kW), leading to higher currents, larger equipment, increased losses, and potentially higher utility charges. Many utilities penalize customers with poor power factor.