What does '1 ton of cooling' mean, and how many watts is it?

1 ton = 12,000 BTU/h = 3,517 W of cooling capacity. The term originated from the amount of heat needed to melt one short ton of ice in 24 hours.

My room requires 10,000 BTU/h of cooling. How many watts does that translate to for an electrical load calculation?

10,000 BTU/h × 0.2931 = 2,931 W of cooling output. But the AC unit's electrical input is lower — typically around 900–1,200 W for a unit with EER around 10.

My gas furnace is rated 80,000 BTU/h. If I replace it with an electric heat pump, what watt equivalent should I look for?

80,000 BTU/h × 0.2931 = 23,448 W = 23.4 kW of heating output. A heat pump rated 5–8 kW electrical input can deliver this much heat thanks to its COP of 3–4.

Is a BTU/hour the same as a BTU?

No — BTU is energy (like a watt-hour), BTU/hour is a power rate (like a watt). Equipment is rated in BTU/hour because it describes ongoing capacity, not total energy.

BTU/hour to Watts Converter

Enter a value to instantly convert between power units.

From

Precision4 dp

1 BTU/hour = 0.2931 Watt

Key Formulas

Kilowatt → Horsepower (mech)

hp = kW × 1.34102

Horsepower (mech) → Kilowatt

kW = hp × 0.7457

Watt → Kilowatt

kW = W × 0.001

Kilowatt → Watt

W = kW × 1000

Formula

W = BTU/h × 0.29307107

HVAC equipment in North America is rated in BTU/hour, but electrical power draws — and the heat output of servers, motors, and lighting — are measured in watts. Data center engineers routinely convert server rack wattage to BTU/h to size cooling systems, and HVAC engineers go the other direction when calculating electrical circuit loads. A 12,000 BTU/h window AC unit draws about 1,000–1,200 W from the wall.

Source: NIST SP 811, Table B.8

Last reviewed: 2026-06-11 · see our methodology

Frequently Asked Questions

Real-World Examples

A 12,000 BTU/h window air conditioner = 3,517 W of cooling capacity (1 ton of cooling) — standard for a 500–600 sq ft room.

12000 BTU/h = 3517 W

A 60,000 BTU/h central air handler = 17,584 W = 17.6 kW — a 5-ton unit serving a 2,500–3,000 sq ft house.

60000 BTU/h = 17584 W

A 5,000 BTU/h portable space heater = 1,465 W — roughly the output of a standard 1,500 W electric baseboard heater.

5000 BTU/h = 1465 W

A 100,000 BTU/h commercial rooftop unit = 29,307 W = 29.3 kW — typical for a small office building or restaurant.

100000 BTU/h = 29307 W

kw to hp hp to kw watts to kw kw to watts mw to kw kw to mw

BTU/hour to Watts Converter

Key Formulas

Formula

Frequently Asked Questions

Real-World Examples

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