Kilowatts to BTU per hour
Multiply kilowatts by 3,412.1416 to get BTU per hour.
3 kW = 10,236.4249 BTU/h
How to convert kilowatts to BTU per hour
The BTU per hour is British thermal units per hour, about 0.293 watts — the standard rating for heating and cooling. The kilowatt is one thousand watts — the metric unit for engine and appliance power.
Worked example — 3 kW: 3 × 3,412.1416 = 10,236.4249 BTU/h.
Kilowatts to BTU per hour table
| Kilowatts | BTU per hour |
|---|---|
| 0.5 kW | 1,706.0708 BTU/h |
| 1 kW | 3,412.1416 BTU/h |
| 1.5 kW | 5,118.2124 BTU/h |
| 2 kW | 6,824.2833 BTU/h |
| 3 kW | 10,236.4249 BTU/h |
| 3.5 kW | 11,942.4957 BTU/h |
| 5 kW | 17,060.7082 BTU/h |
| 7 kW | 23,884.9914 BTU/h |
| 10 kW | 34,121.4163 BTU/h |
Reverse and related
About kilowatts and BTU per hour
Kilowatt (kW)
1 kW = 3,412.1416 BTU/hDefinition. One thousand watts — the metric unit for engine and appliance power
History and origin
The kilowatt is one thousand watts, a metric multiple of the SI power unit. It gives practical numbers for engines and appliances.
Current use
Kilowatts rate car engines outside the United States, large appliances and electric-vehicle charging.
Source: NIST SP 811, App. B (power). Mechanical hp = 550 ft·lbf/s ≈ 745.70 W; metric hp (PS) = 75 kgf·m/s = 735.49875 W
BTU per hour (BTU/h)
1 BTU/h = 0.000293071 kWDefinition. British thermal units per hour, about 0.293 watts — the standard rating for heating and cooling
History and origin
BTU per hour measures the rate of heat transfer, pairing the British thermal unit with the hour. One BTU per hour is about 0.293 watts.
Current use
BTU per hour is the standard rating for air conditioners, heaters and furnaces, especially in the US, where a window unit might be 5,000 to 12,000 BTU/h.
Source: NIST SP 811, App. B (power). Mechanical hp = 550 ft·lbf/s ≈ 745.70 W; metric hp (PS) = 75 kgf·m/s = 735.49875 W
Where people use this
Kilowatts: car engines outside the US, appliances, EV charging. BTU per hour: air conditioner and heater ratings, HVAC sizing. A 3.5 kW unit is about 12,000 BTU/h.
Every value is carried to full double precision; the display is rounded.
Both units are defined in NIST SP 811, App. B (power). Mechanical hp = 550 ft·lbf/s ≈ 745.70 W; metric hp (PS) = 75 kgf·m/s = 735.49875 W.
Questions people ask
How many BTU/h is 1 kW?
One kilowatt is about 3412 BTU/h.
How many BTU/h is 3.5 kW?
3.5 kW is about 11,942 BTU/h, roughly a 12,000 BTU/h unit.
How many BTU/h is 2 kW?
2 kW is about 6824 BTU/h.