kilovati

Kilovati is the plural form of kilovat, the unit of electrical power equal to 1000 watts. The standard symbol for this unit is kW, and the prefix kilo- denotes a factor of 10³. The kilowatt is an SI-derived unit based on the watt, which is defined as one joule per second.

Kilowatts measure the instantaneous rate of energy transfer. They are used to rate electrical devices such as motors, heaters, and generators, as well as solar panels and power plants. The kilowatt is the most common unit for specifying the power output or power consumption of equipment. In practical terms, 1 kW equals 1 kilojoule per second of energy transfer.

Kilowatts are related to energy through time: energy in kilowatt-hours equals power in kilowatts multiplied by time in hours. For example, a 2 kW heater running for 3 hours consumes 6 kWh of energy.

One kilowatt is approximately 1.341 horsepower (mechanical). In many languages that use the word kilovat, kilovati is the plural form and is used to refer to multiple kilowatts; the symbol kW remains standard across languages.