kVA to kW Conversion Calculator

kVA (kilovolt-amperes) is apparent power, the total power flowing through the system including both usable and reactive components. kW (kilowatts) is real power, the actual energy that does useful work. kW is always less than or equal to kVA.

The industry standard for diesel and gas generators is 0.8 (80%). A 100 kVA generator delivers 80 kW of usable power. UPS systems often have 0.9 or 1.0 power factor, while electric motors range from 0.6 to 0.85.

Divide kW by the power factor: kVA = kW / PF. For example, if you need 60 kW at 0.8 PF, you need 60 / 0.8 = 75 kVA. Always round up to the next available generator or transformer size.

Because electrical systems have reactive power (kVAR) caused by inductive loads like motors, transformers, and fluorescent lighting. Reactive power oscillates between source and load without doing useful work but still occupies system capacity.

The power triangle is the geometric relationship between kVA (apparent power, hypotenuse), kW (real power, adjacent side), and kVAR (reactive power, opposite side). The formula is kVA squared = kW squared + kVAR squared. Power factor is the cosine of the angle between kW and kVA.

Install power factor correction capacitors to offset reactive power from inductive loads. This reduces kVA demand without changing kW load. Many utilities charge penalties for power factors below 0.85 or 0.90, making correction financially beneficial.

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