Kilowatts (kW)

 

Kilowatts (kW) is a unit of power in the electrical system. It is used to measure the real power in an alternating current (AC) circuit. Real power is the power that is actually used to do work, such as turning a motor or powering lights. It is measured in watts, and one kilowatt is equal to 1,000 watts.

Real power is one of the two components of apparent power, the other being reactive power. Reactive power is the power used to create and maintain the magnetic fields in motors and generators. It is measured in volt-amperes reactive (VAR) and it does not do useful work. The unit for apparent power is kilovolt-amperes (KVA).

Kilowatts (kW) and kilowatt-hours (kWh) are often used to measure energy consumption in buildings and other facilities. Kilowatt-hours are used to measure the amount of energy used over a period of time. For example, a 100-watt light bulb that is on for 10 hours would use 1 kilowatt-hour (kWh) of energy.

Utility companies often charge customers based on the number of kilowatt-hours of energy they use. This is why you see charges in your energy bill in kWh. In addition to measuring energy consumption, kW is also used to measure the power output of generators, power plants, and other electrical equipment.

In short, kW is a unit of real power, which is the power that is used to do work. It is the useful power, different from kVA which is the apparent power and includes both real and reactive power.