BTU to kW: Convert BTU per Hour to Kilowatts
Convert BTU/hr to kilowatts: 1 kW = 3,412 BTU/hr. Instant converter and a table of AC and heat pump sizes for comparing US and international ratings.
Kilowatts
Formula: kW = BTU/hr ÷ 3,412.14
Going the other way? kW to BTU converter.
BTU/hr to kW conversion table
| BTU per hour | Kilowatts |
|---|---|
| 5,000 BTU/hr | 1.47 kW |
| 6,000 BTU/hr | 1.76 kW |
| 8,000 BTU/hr | 2.34 kW |
| 9,000 BTU/hr | 2.64 kW |
| 10,000 BTU/hr | 2.93 kW |
| 12,000 BTU/hr | 3.52 kW |
| 14,000 BTU/hr | 4.10 kW |
| 18,000 BTU/hr | 5.28 kW |
| 24,000 BTU/hr | 7.03 kW |
| 30,000 BTU/hr | 8.79 kW |
| 36,000 BTU/hr | 10.55 kW |
| 48,000 BTU/hr | 14.07 kW |
| 60,000 BTU/hr | 17.58 kW |
| 100,000 BTU/hr | 29.31 kW |
About this conversion
Divide BTU per hour by 3,412 to get kilowatts. Outside North America, air conditioners are rated in kW of cooling: a 2.5 kW split system in Australia or the UK is an 8,500 BTU unit, and a 7 kW unit is about 24,000 BTU or 2 tons. If you are comparing a US spec sheet with an international one, this is the bridge.
The same caveat as with watts applies. Manufacturers outside the US list both a cooling capacity in kW and a power input in kW, and they are different numbers. A unit with 5.0 kW cooling capacity and 1.4 kW power input has an EER of about 3.6 (metric) or 12.2 BTU/hr per watt (US). The capacity figure is what you match to your room's load; the input figure is what shows up on your electricity bill.
Furnaces and boilers are the other place kW appears. A 24 kW combi boiler, common in European homes, is an 82,000 BTU/hr appliance, in the same range as a typical US 80,000 BTU gas furnace.
Need the load for a specific room rather than a unit conversion? Use the BTU calculator, which returns BTU/hr, tons, kW and watts together.
Quick answers
How many kW is 12,000 BTU?
About 3.52 kW of cooling capacity, or 1 ton.
How many kW is 24,000 BTU?
About 7.03 kW. This is the 2-ton size, sold internationally as a 7 kW split system.
Is a 3.5 kW air conditioner good for a bedroom?
3.5 kW is about 12,000 BTU, which cools up to roughly 550 sq ft. For a 150–250 sq ft bedroom it is oversized; a 2.0–2.5 kW (7,000–8,500 BTU) unit fits better.