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Calculator

kVA to kW Converter

Apparent power (kVA), real power (kW), reactive power (kVAR) — convert between them with adjustable power factor, and see the corresponding current draw.

Inputs

Result

Real power
80.00kW
Apparent power
100.00kVA
Reactive power
60.00kVAR
Current (3-phase @ 415V)
139.1A
kW = kVA × PF  |  kVA² = kW² + kVAR²

How this works

kVA (apparent power) is what your transformer and cables actually carry — voltage × current. It sets the thermal limit of the equipment.

kW (real power) is what does useful work — turns motors, heats elements, runs electronics. It is what your DISCOM bills you for in kWh.

Power factor (PF) is the ratio kW ÷ kVA, between 0 and 1. Inductive loads (motors, transformers, unfiltered VFD inputs) drop PF below 1. The missing energy is not lost — it sloshes back and forth as reactive power (kVAR), but it still heats the cables and counts against your DG/transformer rating.

kW = kVA × PF
kVAR = kVA × sin(arccos(PF))
kVA² = kW² + kVAR²
Amps (3φ) = kW × 1000 / (√3 × V × PF)

Typical power factor values

Real-world PF varies by load type and operating point. Use these as sanity-checks for the calculator.

LoadTypical PFNotes
Incandescent / resistive heater1.00Pure resistive — no reactive component
LED lighting (good driver)0.95–0.99Cheap drivers can drop to 0.6–0.7
Induction motor — full load0.85–0.90Check nameplate
Induction motor — light load0.50–0.70Motors running unloaded have poor PF
VFD-driven motor (input side)0.95+Active front-end VFDs maintain unity PF
Centrifugal chiller0.88–0.92
Welding machine0.50–0.70Low PF, high harmonic content
Arc furnace0.70–0.80Highly variable, requires active correction
Computer / UPS (rectifier input)0.60–0.90THD often >30% — affects true PF

Measure it — don't estimate it

This calculator is useful for sizing exercises, but for billing, compliance, and capacitor-bank sizing you need measured values at your real operating conditions. Power factor varies through the day, across the week, and with every process change.

The Titan Smart Energy Meter measures kW, kVAR, kVA, PF, and THD on every cycle — continuously, not just at a snapshot. The Energy Intelligence Platformalerts you when PF drifts below your tariff threshold, so you catch the penalty before it hits next month's bill.

Unlike most competitors who report only kWh, Titan natively reports all four quantities plus harmonics — giving you the full picture for PF correction, cable de-rating, and genset sizing.

Frequently asked questions

Six questions on kVA, kW, power factor and how it affects your bill.

Generators and transformers are sized by apparent power (kVA) because their thermal limit is determined by voltage × current, regardless of how much real work gets done. The actual useful output (kW) is kVA × power factor. A 100 kVA DG at 0.8 PF delivers 80 kW; at 1.0 PF it would deliver 100 kW.
Most Indian DISCOMs penalise power factor below 0.9 and reward above 0.95. Target 0.97+ at the incomer for maximum rebate. Use APFC (Automatic Power Factor Correction) panels with capacitor banks sized to your reactive load profile.
Install capacitor banks — typically an APFC panel at the main LT incomer that switches capacitor stages in and out based on real-time PF. For variable loads, use thyristor-switched (static) APFC. For harmonic-heavy loads, use detuned capacitors (7% reactors) to prevent resonance damage.
Displacement PF (DPF) is the cosine of the phase angle between voltage and current at the fundamental frequency. True PF accounts for harmonic distortion — it is always less than or equal to DPF. With clean sinusoidal loads (motors), they are equal. With non-linear loads (VFDs, UPS, LED drivers), true PF can be significantly lower. Good smart energy meters report both.
Cables and breakers carry current (Amps), and current is proportional to kVA (not kW) at a given voltage. Sizing cables from kW alone at assumed PF = 1.0 can under-size them by 15–25% when real loads run at PF 0.8–0.85.
Yes. A Class 0.5S meter like Titan samples voltage and current waveforms at high rate and computes kW, kVAR, kVA, PF, and THD every cycle. The Energy Intelligence Platform can alert when PF drifts below the tariff threshold — before the penalty hits your bill.

From the calculator to the meter

The tools your team uses to measure and improve power factor in the real world.

Titan — Smart Energy Meter

Class 0.5S 3-phase meter with live PF, kVAR, kVA, kWh, THD. WiFi + RS485. DIN rail.

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Energy Monitoring Solution

Site-wide real-time PF monitoring with alerts when tariff-penalty thresholds are crossed.

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Energy Intelligence Platform

Cloud dashboard that trends PF, kVAR and THD across all your meters and sites.

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Stop guessing your power factor

Talk to our engineers about measuring live PF across your facility and avoiding DISCOM penalties.

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