kVA Calculator

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Calculate kilovolt-ampere (apparent power) for electrical systems.

Electrical Parameters

Phase System

Voltage (V)

Current (I)

Apparent Power Results

Enter electrical specs to calculate capacity

About this calculator

Quick Reference

VVoltage (Volts)

ICurrent (Amperes)

√3Approx 1.732

1 kVA1000 VA

Overview

kVA stands for Kilovolt-Ampere. It is a unit of apparent power in an electrical circuit. It differs from Kilowatts (kW), which represents real power, by the power factor. kVA represents the total amount of power in a system, including both work-producing and non-work-producing components.

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Pro Tips

In three-phase systems, Voltage is the Line-to-Line (L-L) voltage.
Apparent power (kVA) = √(Real Power² + Reactive Power²).
kVA is often used to size generators and transformers because they must handle the total current regardless of the power factor.

Fun Facts

"If the power factor is 1.0 (perfectly resistive), 1 kVA is exactly equal to 1 kW."
"Electric motors often have a power factor around 0.8, meaning they require more kVA than the kW they produce."
"Transformers are rated in kVA because their losses (heat) are determined by the current flow, not the useful work done."

Formula: kVA = (V × I) / 1000