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Power Formula:
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The Power in Kilowatts formula calculates electrical power consumption in kilowatts using voltage, current, and power factor. This is essential for electrical engineering, energy management, and power system analysis.
The calculator uses the power formula:
Where:
Explanation: The formula converts apparent power (VA) to real power (kW) by accounting for the power factor, then divides by 1000 to convert watts to kilowatts.
Details: Accurate power calculation is crucial for electrical system design, energy consumption analysis, circuit breaker sizing, and cost estimation in industrial and residential applications.
Tips: Enter voltage in volts, current in amperes, and power factor as a decimal between 0 and 1. All values must be positive with power factor ranging from 0 to 1.
Q1: What is power factor and why is it important?
A: Power factor represents the ratio of real power to apparent power. It indicates how effectively electrical power is being used, with 1 being ideal and lower values indicating inefficiency.
Q2: What are typical power factor values?
A: Residential: 0.85-0.95, Industrial: 0.70-0.90, Commercial: 0.75-0.85. Perfectly resistive loads have PF=1, while inductive loads have lower PF.
Q3: When should I use this formula?
A: Use for AC single-phase power calculations in electrical systems, energy audits, equipment sizing, and power consumption analysis.
Q4: Are there limitations to this formula?
A: This formula is for single-phase AC systems. For three-phase systems, use \( kW = \frac{\sqrt{3} \times V \times I \times PF}{1000} \).
Q5: How does power factor affect energy costs?
A: Low power factor can result in higher electricity bills due to increased apparent power demand and potential power factor penalty charges from utilities.