Use our interactive calculator to easily convert kilowatt hours to watts (kWh to W).
Or would you rather convert watts to kilowatt hours?
Kilowatt Hours to Watts Conversion Chart
Here is a chart converting kilowatt hours to watts for a few common time periods. Note that one month is assumed to be 30 days long.
| Kilowatt Hours | Watts for 1 day | Watts for 1 month | Watts for 1 year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 100 kWh | 4,166.67 W | 138.89 W | 11.42 W |
| 200 kWh | 8,333.33 W | 277.78 W | 22.83 W |
| 300 kWh | 12,500 W | 416.67 W | 34.25 W |
| 400 kWh | 16,666.67 W | 555.56 W | 45.66 W |
| 500 kWh | 20,833.33 W | 694.44 W | 57.08 W |
| 600 kWh | 25,000 W | 833.33 W | 68.49 W |
| 700 kWh | 29,166.67 W | 972.22 W | 79.91 W |
| 800 kWh | 33,333.33 W | 1,111.11 W | 91.32 W |
| 900 kWh | 37,500 W | 1,250 W | 102.74 W |
| 1000 kWh | 41,666.67 W | 1,388.89 W | 114.16 W |
| 1100 kWh | 45,833.33 W | 1,527.78 W | 125.57 W |
| 1200 kWh | 50,000 W | 1,666.67 W | 136.99 W |
| 1300 kWh | 54,166.67 W | 1,805.56 W | 148.40 W |
| 1400 kWh | 58,333.33 W | 1,944.44 W | 159.82 W |
| 1500 kWh | 62,500 W | 2,083.33 W | 171.23 W |
| 2000 kWh | 83,333.33 W | 2,777.78 W | 228.31 W |
| 3000 kWh | 125,000 W | 4,166.67 W | 342.47 W |
| 4000 kWh | 166,666.67 W | 5,555.56 W | 456.62 W |
| 5000 kWh | 208,333.33 W | 6,944.44 W | 570.78 W |
How to Convert Kilowatt Hours to Watts (kWh to W)
Before we go into how to convert kilowatt hours to watts, it is important to understand what these two units actually measure.
Watts is a measurement of power, which you can think of simply as an instantaneous amount of electrical energy. Kilowatt hours is a measurement of this same electrical energy, but over a period of time (measured in hours).
So in order to convert kilowatt hours to watts, you must know how many hours it took to generate (or use) the measured amount of kilowatt hours. To calculate watts from kilowatt hours, divide kilowatt hours by the number of hours and then multiply by 1,000.
Formula: watts = (kilowatt hours ÷ hours) × 1,000
Abbreviated: W = (kWh ÷ hrs) × 1,000
Example
Let's look at an example many homeowners face when considering adding solar panels to their home.
In this example, you know your monthly electrical energy usage in kilowatt hours over the course of a year. You want to know how many panels you would need on your roof to completely solar power your home. Let's say the panels you are looking at purchasing are rated at 300W each.
First, find the highest-usage month out of the year. Let's assume it's July, with a usage of 1,000 kWh.
Let's also assume that your roof gets full sun for an average of 7 hours each day during July. So the total number of hours your solar panels could generate electricity during the month is 7 × 31 = 217 hours.
The total number of watts you would need is:
(1,000 kWh ÷ 217 hrs) × 1,000 = 4,608.29 W
Dividing this peak usage by the rating for each panel gives us the total number of panels you would need:
4,608.29 W ÷ (300 W/panel) = 15.36 panels
Based on this estimate, you'd need about 16 panels to completely solar power your home during your highest-usage month.
Why Convert Kilowatt Hours to Watts?
Converting kilowatt hours to watts is important for a few reasons, especially when considering solar for your home. First, knowing your monthly energy consumption in kilowatt hours over a typical year allows you to calculate the total number of solar panels you would need to power your home, as in the previous example.
Second, you may find that your solar panel system can produce more electricity than you currently need or use. Converting those extra kilowatt hours to watts will give you an idea of other appliances or devices you could power, without having to add more panels to your home.
Finally, converting kilowatt hours to watts gives you an idea of your average power consumption in watts over a certain period of time. This number can be helpful for reducing energy usage or designing a DIY solar power system.
How to Convert Watts to Kilowatt Hours (W to kWh)
You can also convert watts to kilowatt hours. To calculate kilowatt hours, multiply watts by hours then divide by 1,000.
Formula: kilowatt hours = (watts × hours) ÷ 1,000
Abbreviated: kWh = (W × hrs) ÷ 1,000
Example
In this example, let's assume you want to add a freestanding water cooler to your home. You want to know how many kilowatt hours this appliance consumes over the course of one year, to see if your solar panels can handle the extra energy consumption.
Look at the electrical specifications for your water cooler to find the amount of watts it uses. This is typically found on a sticker on the back of the appliance. In this case, we aren't given the watts rating, but we do know that our water cooler is rated for 5.5 amps (A) at 120 volts (V).
Simply multiply volts and amps together to find watts:
120 volts × 5.5 amps = 660 watts
Even though your water cooler is plugged in year-round, let's assume it only uses this amount of electricity to actively cool your water for about 2 hours maximum per day. Over the course of one year, this is about 730 hours (365 days × 2 hours per day).
So to find the total kilowatt hour consumption of your new appliance, simply convert watts to kilowatt hours:
(660 W × 730 hrs) ÷ 1,000 = 481.8 kWh
How to Convert Watt Hours to Watts (Wh to W)
In small-scale solar and electrical systems, it's sometimes easier to express energy consumption in terms of watt hours (Wh) rather than kilowatt hours.
To convert watt hours to watts, divide watt hours by the number of hours.
Formula: watts = watt hours ÷ hours
Abbreviated: W = Wh ÷ hrs
Calculator: Watt Hours to Watts Calculator
