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Free calculator

Use this calculator to

  • Convert UPS and IT nameplate VA figures to the kVA units used on DNO forms
  • Total a server room's VA ratings into a kVA figure for generator or UPS sizing
  • Compare connected load against your site's Agreed Supply Capacity in kVA
  • Sense-check supplier and contractor quotes that mix VA and kVA units

VA to kVA Calculator

Convert apparent power (VA) to kilovolt-amps (kVA).

VA
Result
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Formulas

  • kVA = VA / 1000

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kVA to VA

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VA→kW

VA to kW

Convert apparent power (VA) to real power (kW)

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Common scenarios

Select one to run it in the calculator above.

For business

Why this matters for businesses

The VA to kVA conversion is trivial on paper (divide by 1,000) but the real value is in joining up what equipment nameplates report with what your supply contract is sized against. Your Maximum Import Capacity (MIC) is set in kVA on every half-hourly settled supply in the UK, and every commercial UPS, inverter, transformer and generator manufacturer also rates kit in kVA. Whenever a site refresh adds a new piece of kit, the sum of installed kVA needs to be reconciled against the contracted MIC kVA before the DNO is asked for an uplift, not after the breaker trips.

For sites running standby diesel or gas generators (data halls, hospitals, food processors, anywhere a power cut is more expensive than the gen-set), the kVA reconciliation runs both ways. Step load capability is rated in kVA, prime power is rated in kVA, and the ATS panel is sized in amps derived from kVA. If a procurement spec arrives in VA from a US-headquartered vendor and the local panel build is in kVA, mismatches in the third decimal place rapidly turn into rework. A clean VA to kVA conversion at the spec review stage cuts the rework risk down to noise.

Where Purely Energy adds value is on the bill side: matching your contracted MIC kVA against your actual half-hourly peak kVA, and flagging when either is wrong. We routinely find clients paying for 250 kVA of MIC against a measured peak of 140 kVA, and the savings on availability charges across a multi-site portfolio can run into five or six figures a year. The starting point is always to translate the installed kit kVA into contracted kVA cleanly. The tool above does the maths; the rest is a procurement conversation worth having.

Common questions

How do I convert VA to kVA?

Divide by 1,000: kVA = VA / 1,000. A 3,000 VA rack UPS is 3 kVA, and a 650 VA desktop unit is 0.65 kVA. The conversion is exact: the two units measure the same quantity, apparent power, at different scales, just as watts relate to kilowatts. No power factor is involved.

Is 1,000 VA the same as 1 kVA?

Yes, exactly. The kilo prefix means 1,000, so 1 kVA equals 1,000 VA with no rounding or power factor involved. Manufacturers tend to quote small UPS units in VA (650 VA, 1,500 VA) and larger three-phase systems in kVA (10 kVA, 100 kVA), but the underlying unit is identical.

Why do supply capacities use kVA rather than kW?

Your DNO sets the Agreed Supply Capacity (ASC, also called Maximum Import Capacity) for a half-hourly metered site in kVA because the network must carry the full apparent power, including the reactive component, not just the real power in kW. Converting your equipment's VA ratings to kVA lets you compare connected load against the capacity you are paying for.

Is kVA the same as kW?

No. kVA is apparent power and kW is real power; kW = kVA x power factor. At a power factor of 0.9, a 20 kVA UPS delivers at most 18 kW. Only at unity power factor are the two equal. Use the VA to kW calculator when you need the real-power figure.

When would I need to convert VA to kVA in practice?

Mostly when totalling IT and comms loads. Server, switch and UPS nameplates quote VA, while DNO connection forms, generator quotes and transformer ratings are written in kVA. Summing the VA figures for a comms room and dividing by 1,000 gives the kVA total you can hand to an electrical contractor or compare against your supply capacity.

Related calculators

The conversions that procurement and engineering use alongside this one.

VA to kVA Calculator | Purely Energy