Horsepower to Kilovolt-Amps (kVA) Conversion Calculator
Convert horsepower (HP) to kilovolt-amps (kVA) by entering the power, motor efficiency, and power factor below.
Kilovolt-Amps Results:
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How to Convert Horsepower to kVA
Electrical horsepower is a measure of real power equivalent to 746 watts, while kilovolt-amps measure apparent power. Because power factor and motor efficiency reduce the amount of actual work performed for the amount of apparent power in the circuit, the conversion from horsepower to kVA requires a formula.
Horsepower to kVA Formula
Use the following formula to convert horsepower to kilovolt-amps.
SkVA = PHP × 0.746 / η × PF
Thus, the apparent power S in kVA is equal to the real power P in horsepower times 0.746 kilowatts per horsepower, divided by the motor efficiency η times the power factor PF.
To convert, substitute the power, efficiency, and power factor values in the formula above and solve. A simpler alternative is to use the calculator above, which does the same thing. If the efficiency is unknown, leave it at 100% for the equation.
The formula is derived by following these simple steps.
Step One: Convert Horsepower to kW
To convert horsepower to kVA, start by multiplying it by 0.746 to convert to kilowatts.
PkW = PHP × 0.746
Step Two: Account for Motor Efficiency and Power Factor
Next, divide the motor efficiency as a percentage by 100 to get the decimal value, or use a percent to decimal calculator. Then, divide the power in kilowatts by the product of the efficiency and power factor to calculate the apparent power in kilovolt-amps.
SkVA = PkW ÷ (η × PF)
To convert the real power in kilowatts to the apparent power in kilovolt-amps, divide the power in kilowatts by the motor efficiency multiplied by the power factor.
For example, let’s convert 25 horsepower to kVA given a power factor of 0.8 and a motor efficiency of 84%
SkVA = 25 HP × 0.746 / 0.84 × 0.8
SkVA = 18.65 kW / 0.672
SkVA = 27.753 kVA
In this example, 25 horsepower is equal to 27.753 kVA.
Equivalent Horsepower and kVA Ratings
| HP | kVA |
|---|---|
| 1 HP | 0.933 kVA |
| 2 HP | 1.87 kVA |
| 3 HP | 2.8 kVA |
| 4 HP | 3.73 kVA |
| 5 HP | 4.66 kVA |
| 6 HP | 5.6 kVA |
| 7 HP | 6.53 kVA |
| 8 HP | 7.46 kVA |
| 9 HP | 8.39 kVA |
| 10 HP | 9.33 kVA |
| 15 HP | 13.99 kVA |
| 20 HP | 18.65 kVA |
| 25 HP | 23.31 kVA |
| 30 HP | 27.98 kVA |
| 35 HP | 32.64 kVA |
| 40 HP | 37.3 kVA |
| 45 HP | 41.96 kVA |
| 50 HP | 46.63 kVA |
| 55 HP | 51.29 kVA |
| 60 HP | 55.95 kVA |
| 65 HP | 60.61 kVA |
| 70 HP | 65.28 kVA |
| 75 HP | 69.94 kVA |
| 80 HP | 74.6 kVA |
| 85 HP | 79.26 kVA |
| 90 HP | 83.93 kVA |
| 95 HP | 88.59 kVA |
| 100 HP | 93.25 kVA |
You might also be interested in our kVA to horsepower calculator.