How to Calculate Amps to KVA

A KVA (kilovolt ampere) is a unit that measures power. The unit itself is similar to a watt, the number of volts times the number of amperes, divided by 1,000. A KVA is used generally with AC current with the addition of a power factor, a factor that accounts for variations in current and voltage.

Things You'll Need

• Calculator

Instructions

1. Multiply the number of KVA by 1,000 to convert from KVA to regular volt amperes (VA). If you have 1 KVA, this equals 1,000 VA.

2. Multiply the number of VA by the power factor, which will be particular to your equipment or setup. If you don't know the power factor, use .6, which is an industry standard. Given 1,000 VA times a .6 power factor, you get a figure of 600.

3. Divide your figure from Step 2 by the voltage in your system to get your final calculation of amps. Typical voltage in the United States is 120, so in this example, your amperage is 600 divided by 120, or 5 amps.

References

• Powerstream: Watts to VA and KVA Simplified

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish
• Read this Article in UK English