kW to Amps Calculator

About this calculator

Electrical current draw depends on power, voltage, and — for AC circuits — power factor. For a single-phase AC circuit the relationship is current (A) = (power in kW × 1000) ÷ (voltage × power factor); for three-phase systems a factor of √3 (≈1.732) is added to the denominator to account for the phase geometry. Power factor, which ranges from 0 to 1, corrects for the fact that "real power" (kW) is only part of the total apparent power a circuit draws when the load isn't purely resistive.

Electricians, electrical engineers, and facility managers use this conversion to size circuit breakers, wiring gauge, and generators — undersizing wire for the actual current draw is a fire hazard, so codes require calculating amps from a device's rated kW before installation. It's also used when comparing appliance or motor nameplates that list power in kW against panel capacity rated in amps.