BTU to kW converter
The exact factor is 1 BTU/h = 0.293071 W.
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- Enter your measurements.
- Check the units and the assumptions.
- Press Calculate, or load the example.
Rather see a worked case? Press “Load example” and change any value afterwards.
Next step
That kW is capacity, not consumption: the EER is what separates the two.
Where each number comes from Conversion constants are exact; densities and coverage rates come from cited sources; everything else is an assumption you can change. Methodology · Sources and updates
How to use it
- Enter the BTU/h from the listing or the unit's plate.
- Read the kW: that is the cooling capacity, the heat the unit removes.
- Compare it with the capacity figure on the energy label, not with the consumption one.
- Tons of refrigeration show up if you work with larger equipment.
How it is calculated
The listing is in BTU and the European energy label is in kW. This conversion is the bridge between them, and it is the one most often used to check that the unit you are looking at is the one it claims to be.
There is a trap here that the other conversions in this family do not have: the energy label carries two kW figures, capacity and power input. This page works out the first. The second is three to five times smaller, and mixing them up makes a unit look either absurdly efficient or absurdly expensive to run.
The conversion, exactly
All three units measure the same thing, energy per unit of time, and only the scale changes: the watt belongs to the SI, the BTU/h to English-speaking markets and the frigorie per hour to Spain and Latin America. The ton of refrigeration, used on larger equipment, is 12,000 BTU/h by definition.
Worked example
A 12,000 BTU/h unit in kilowatts:
- 12,000 x 0.29307107 = 3,516.9 W = 3.52 kW
- In frigories: 3,024 frigories/h
- In tons of refrigeration: exactly 1 ton
12,000 BTU/h is by definition one ton of refrigeration, the power needed to melt one short ton of ice in 24 hours.
Good to know
- These kW are cooling, not electricity. A 12,000 BTU unit has 3.52 kW of capacity and draws in the order of 1 kW. If the figure you are after is the one on the bill, you want the energy use calculator, not this one.
- 12,000 BTU/h is exactly one ton of refrigeration. It comes from the power needed to melt one short ton of ice in 24 hours, which is why commercial units come in multiples of 12,000.
- Capacity depends on the outdoor temperature. The manufacturer measures it under standard conditions; at 40 °C outside, the same unit delivers less.
Frequently asked questions
How many kW is 12,000 BTU?
3.52 kW of cooling capacity. Note: kilowatts of cooling produced, not electricity consumed.
How many kW is 9,000 BTU?
2.64 kW. And 18,000 BTU is 5.28 kW.
Is the kW on the label capacity or consumption?
Air conditioner labels usually give both: cooling capacity in kW and power input in kW or W. They are different numbers, and the second is far smaller.
What is a ton of refrigeration?
Exactly 12,000 BTU/h, or 3.517 kW. It comes from the power needed to melt one short ton of ice in a day.