BTU/hr to kW
Convert British Thermal Units per hour (BTU/hr) to kilowatts (kW) at the fixed ratio 1 BTU/hr = 0.00029307107 kW.
Interactive
Scale explorer
Drag the slider or click a tier to see where your BTU/hr value lands on the equipment scale — with live kW output.
Fundamentals
What is BTU/hr to kW?
BTU/hr to kW converts British Thermal Units per hour to kilowatts by multiplying the BTU/hr value by 0.00029307107. One BTU/hr equals 0.29307107 watts, and 1,000 watts make one kilowatt, so the two forms of the conversion are P(kW) = P(BTU/hr) × 0.00029307107 or P(kW) = P(BTU/hr) / 3412.142. The conversion lets U.S. HVAC and heating specs align with the international SI standard used by most of the world.
A BTU per hour is a rate of thermal energy in the Imperial System. A kilowatt is a rate of power in the International System of Units (SI) equal to 1,000 watts or 1,000 joules per second. Both measure power, so they convert through a single fixed ratio.
The ratio 0.00029307107 comes from the BTU definition (1,055.05585 joules) divided by 3,600 seconds per hour, then divided again by 1,000 to scale watts into kilowatts.
Most U.S. HVAC nameplates show BTU/hr, while European, Asian, and Australian specs use kW. The same physical unit appears under two different labels — the converter translates between them without loss.
Formula
BTU/hr to kW formula
Convert a 12,000 BTU/hr one-ton air conditioner to kilowatts. European and metric spec sheets use the kW value to describe the same equipment.
How to convert BTU/hr to kW
Three steps complete the conversion:
Read the BTU/hr value
Take the BTU/hr rating from the spec label, manual, or product page of the HVAC or heating unit.
Multiply by 0.00029307107
Apply the fixed conversion factor. Dividing by 3,412.142 returns the same result.
Record in kilowatts
Use kW for metric comparisons, European specs, and large-system sizing.
Applications
When to convert BTU/hr to kW
Real-world scenarios where this conversion shows up in engineering, HVAC, and equipment specification work.
Align BTU/hr nameplates with kW ratings used on European product sheets.
Compare electric heater wattage to gas-heater BTU/hr on the same kW scale.
Submit building cooling loads in kW for LEED, ASHRAE, and ISO documentation.
Estimate generator sizing in kW after converting building BTU/hr loads.
Compute EER and COP by dividing cooling kW by electrical input kW.
Guidance
Tips and common pitfalls
kW is power (rate); kWh is energy (quantity). A 3 kW heater running for 2 hours uses 6 kWh.
12,000 BTU/hr of cooling = 3.517 kW of heat moved, but the AC only draws about 1.0–1.2 kW of electricity at SEER 14.
Apply the full 0.00029307107 factor, then round to 2–3 decimal places once — not between intermediate steps.
Reference
BTU/hr to kW conversion table
| BTU per hour (BTU/hr) | Kilowatts (kW) |
|---|---|
| 100 BTU/hr | 0.029307 kW |
| 500 BTU/hr | 0.146536 kW |
| 1,000 BTU/hr | 0.293071 kW |
| 2,000 BTU/hr | 0.586142 kW |
| 5,000 BTU/hr | 1.4654 kW |
| 8,000 BTU/hr | 2.3446 kW |
| 10,000 BTU/hr | 2.9307 kW |
| 12,000 BTU/hr | 3.5169 kW |
| 15,000 BTU/hr | 4.3961 kW |
| 18,000 BTU/hr | 5.2753 kW |
| 24,000 BTU/hr | 7.0337 kW |
| 36,000 BTU/hr | 10.5506 kW |
| 48,000 BTU/hr | 14.0674 kW |
| 60,000 BTU/hr | 17.5843 kW |
| 100,000 BTU/hr | 29.3071 kW |
James Prescott Joule and William Thomson (Lord Kelvin) established the energy-power equivalence that makes this a fixed-ratio conversion. The factor has not changed since the BTU was standardized in 1956.
Questions
Frequently asked
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