Electrical loads are rated in two ways — by the real power they consume (kW) and the apparent power they draw from the supply (VA or kVA). Enter your Power (kW) and Power Factor into the kW to VA Calculator to get the Apparent Power in VA, along with the equivalent value in kVA and real power in watts.
Apparent Power
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Apparent Power (kVA)
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Real Power (W)
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The formula is S(VA) = 1000 × P(kW) / PF, where S is apparent power in volt-amperes, P is real power in kilowatts, and PF is the power factor.
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 lower power factor means more current is needed to deliver the same amount of real power.
kW (kilowatts) measures real power that does actual work, while VA (volt-amperes) measures apparent power, which is the total power supplied to the circuit. VA is always greater than or equal to kW.
Most electrical equipment has power factors between 0.7 and 0.9. Motors typically have power factors of 0.8-0.85, while resistive loads like heaters have a power factor of 1.0.
Converting kW to VA is essential for sizing electrical equipment like transformers, generators, and electrical panels, as they must handle the apparent power (VA) rather than just the real power (kW).
No, power factor cannot exceed 1.0. A power factor of 1.0 represents a purely resistive load where all supplied power is converted to useful work, which is the theoretical maximum efficiency.
Poor power factor increases current draw and can result in utility penalties for commercial customers. Improving power factor reduces current requirements and can lower electricity costs.
kVA (kilovolt-amperes) is simply VA divided by 1000. It's commonly used for larger electrical systems and equipment ratings. 1 kVA = 1000 VA.