How do I convert kW to amps in three-phase?

For three-phase: I (A) = (kW × 1000) ÷ (√3 × VLL × power factor). For 400 V three-phase at unity power factor, 1 kW ≈ 1.44 A.

How do I convert kVA to kW?

kW = kVA × power factor. A 100 kVA load at 0.9 power factor delivers 90 kW of real power and 43.6 kvar of reactive power.

What is the difference between kW, kVA and kvar?

kW is real power consumed by the load, kVA is apparent power drawn from the supply, and kvar is reactive power that circulates between source and load. They form a right triangle: kVA² = kW² + kvar².

How do I convert kW to kVA?

kVA = kW / cosφ where cosφ is the power factor. For a 100 kW load at cosφ = 0.85, kVA = 100 / 0.85 = 117.6 kVA. The Australian three-phase formula I = kVA × 1000 / (√3 × VL) then gives the line current.

What is the line-to-neutral voltage in Australia?

Australia uses 230 V line-to-neutral, 400 V line-to-line in the three-phase distribution system (50 Hz). The relationship is VL = √3 × VLN. Some older installations and tariff documents reference 240 V / 415 V — the actual voltage at the point of supply is typically within +10% / −6% of nominal per AS 60038.

What AWG is closest to 25 mm²?

25 mm² is closest to 4 AWG (21.15 mm²) on the smaller side and 3 AWG (26.67 mm²) on the larger side. For an exact equivalent always specify in mm² of cross-sectional area; AWG to mm² conversion is approximate because the AWG step ratio is not metric.

ElecAS

Electrical Unit Converter

Convert amps, kilowatts and kVA for common 1-phase and 3-phase electrical calculations.

Why this page matters

Convert amps, kilowatts and kVA for common 1-phase and 3-phase electrical calculations. This static content is published so the canonical route has meaningful crawlable HTML even before the interactive application hydrates.

Who this page is for

Users needing quick engineering conversions during load, supply and equipment calculations.

Relevant standards

General electrical engineering calculations

What this tool helps with

Convert between amps, kW and kVA for common electrical design tasks.
Support quick checks during quoting, design review and commissioning.
Use as a lightweight companion to the larger ElecAS calculators.

How to use the ElecAS electrical unit converter

Pick the conversion category — Choose power (kW / kVA / kVAr), voltage (line-line / line-neutral), current (single-phase from three-phase), or cable size (mm² / AWG).
Enter the input value and power factor (for power conversions) — Enter the source quantity and, for power conversions, the power factor. The calculator runs the conversion bidirectionally.
Read the converted result — The result includes the converted value and (for cable conversions) the nearest standard size in both metric and imperial systems.

Electrical unit conversions for Australian electrical design

kW, kVA and kVAr — the power triangle

Real power kW, apparent power kVA and reactive power kVAr form a right triangle: kVA² = kW² + kVAr². Power factor cosφ is the ratio kW / kVA. For a 100 kW load at cosφ = 0.85, the apparent power is 117.6 kVA and the reactive power is 62.0 kVAr.

Australian electrical tariffs are typically charged on apparent power (kVA demand) so reducing reactive power via PFC reduces the billed demand even though the real power is unchanged. The ElecAS converter handles all three quantities with bidirectional conversion.

Three-phase line / phase voltage and current

For a balanced three-phase circuit, line-to-line voltage = √3 × line-to-neutral voltage. The 400 V Australian distribution voltage is line-to-line; the corresponding line-to-neutral voltage is 230 V. Line current equals phase current for a star (wye) connection; for a delta connection, line current = √3 × phase current.

Single-phase current from three-phase kW: I = P / (√3 × VL × cosφ) where VL is the line-to-line voltage. For 100 kW at 400 V three-phase, cosφ = 0.95: I = 100,000 / (1.732 × 400 × 0.95) = 152 A per phase.

Cable size conversions — mm² to AWG and back

Australian cable sizes are specified in mm² of conductor cross-sectional area; US National Electrical Code (NEC) uses American Wire Gauge (AWG) for smaller conductors and circular mil (kcmil) for larger. The conversion is approximate because the AWG step is not metric. 16 mm² ≈ 6 AWG; 25 mm² ≈ 4 AWG; 50 mm² ≈ 1/0 AWG; 95 mm² ≈ 4/0 AWG.

For exact equivalents always go via cross-sectional area in mm², not AWG step number. The ElecAS converter reports both the exact mm² and the nearest AWG.

Reviewed by

Wisam Tozah — Associate Electrical Engineer. B.Eng (Electrical), MIEAust, CPEng, NER, NSW DBP, NSW PRE, APEC, IntPE(Aus). LinkedIn.

Frequently asked questions

How do I convert kW to amps in three-phase?: For three-phase: I (A) = (kW × 1000) ÷ (√3 × VLL × power factor). For 400 V three-phase at unity power factor, 1 kW ≈ 1.44 A.
How do I convert kVA to kW?: kW = kVA × power factor. A 100 kVA load at 0.9 power factor delivers 90 kW of real power and 43.6 kvar of reactive power.
What is the difference between kW, kVA and kvar?: kW is real power consumed by the load, kVA is apparent power drawn from the supply, and kvar is reactive power that circulates between source and load. They form a right triangle: kVA² = kW² + kvar².
How do I convert kW to kVA?: kVA = kW / cosφ where cosφ is the power factor. For a 100 kW load at cosφ = 0.85, kVA = 100 / 0.85 = 117.6 kVA. The Australian three-phase formula I = kVA × 1000 / (√3 × VL) then gives the line current.
What is the line-to-neutral voltage in Australia?: Australia uses 230 V line-to-neutral, 400 V line-to-line in the three-phase distribution system (50 Hz). The relationship is VL = √3 × VLN. Some older installations and tariff documents reference 240 V / 415 V — the actual voltage at the point of supply is typically within +10% / −6% of nominal per AS 60038.
What AWG is closest to 25 mm²?: 25 mm² is closest to 4 AWG (21.15 mm²) on the smaller side and 3 AWG (26.67 mm²) on the larger side. For an exact equivalent always specify in mm² of cross-sectional area; AWG to mm² conversion is approximate because the AWG step ratio is not metric.