Watt to Kilowatt Converter

A watt (W) is the SI unit of power, defined as one joule per second. Named after Scottish inventor James Watt, it represents the rate of energy transfer and is fundamental to all power measurements in the International System of Units.

The watt was named after James Watt in 1882 and became the SI unit of power in 1960. It replaced various earlier power units and provided a unified measure based on the fundamental relationship between energy and time, becoming universal in scientific and technical applications.

Watts are universally used for all power measurements, from small electronic devices to large machinery. They're fundamental in electrical engineering, physics, energy efficiency ratings, and form the basis for all other power unit measurements.

A kilowatt (kW) is a unit of power equal to one thousand watts (10³ W). It's one of the most commonly used power units, representing the power consumption of household appliances and small to medium electrical equipment.

The kilowatt became widely recognized with the expansion of electrical power to homes and businesses in the early 20th century. It provided a practical scale for household electricity consumption and became the standard unit for electrical billing and appliance ratings.

Kilowatts are universally used for household appliance ratings, small motor specifications, residential solar installations, and electricity billing. They're standard for home electrical consumption, appliance energy labels, and small-scale power systems.