KWH: What is it and how many watts is equivalent
Understand what a kWh and its equivalence in Watts. Learn to calculate your energy consumption and save on your light bill! Discover more.
Products specifically designed to directly comply with energy savings
Knowing what is a kilowatt-hora (kWh) gives you the necessary knowledge to make informed decisions about energy consumption in your home. This not only positively impacts your finances, but also contributes to the preservation of resources and the promotion of sustainable practices.
With the knowledge of the KWH, you become a more conscious and active consumer in the responsible management of energy! And in this article we will help you understand what this unit of measure is about and with what we can match it.
1 What is a Kilovatio-Hora?
KWH is a crucial measure in the world of electricity, used to quantify electricity consumption. To understand it, let's break down the term. A kilowatt is a power unit, which represents a thousand watts. Meanwhile, the time is a time measure. Gathering both concepts, the kilowatt-hora is the amount of energy consumed by a device that has a power of a kilowatt for an hour.
Where do the KWH measure?
As we said above, this type of measure is commonly used in the electricity field and is found in various situations related to the generation, distribution and consumption of electricity. Let's look at the most common:
- Residential and commercial electricity billing: Electrical companies use the KWH measure to calculate electricity consumption in homes and businesses. The electrical invoice reflects the amount of KWh consumed during a specific period, and the cost is based on this measurement.
- Electrical appliances and equipment: As refrigerators, air conditioners, computers and other devices, they indicate their consumption in kilowatts-Hora. This helps consumers to understand and compare the energy efficiency of different devices.
- Solar panels and photovoltaic energy generation: The owners of solar facilities can monitor how much energy they are generating and, often, they can receive credits or payments based on the amount of KWH spartles to the network.
- Electric vehicle load stations: This helps owners of electric vehicles to understand how much energy they are using to recharge their vehicles and calculate the associated costs.
2 Difference between Kilovatio-Hora (KWh) and Kilovatio (KW)
In Greenice we believe essential to know how to differentiate between kilowatt-Hora and Kilovatio. The kilowatt (kW) is a power measure, indicating the amount of energy used at a specific time. On the other hand, the Kilovatio-Hora (KWH) measures the total amount of energy consumed for a period of time, as an hour. If you have a one kilowatt device running for an hour, you will have consumed a kilowatt-power of energy.
A little more practical? Imagine that in a factory they use a production machine with a power of 20 kW. If this machine operates continuously for 5 hours, we can calculate the total energy consumption using the formula kwh = kw × hours. In this case, it would be 20 kW × 5 hours = 100 kWh. This figure represents the total amount of energy consumed by the machine during that specific period.
3 How are kwh consumed in a home?
The measurement of the kilowatts-Hora consumed in a home is performed through an electric meter. This device records the amount of energy used over time. Modern meters, especially those with intelligent abilities, provide precise readings and allow more detailed monitoring of consumption. At the end of a billing cycle, the electric company uses the meter information to calculate the total number of kilowatts-hora consumed and invoice accordingly.
4 How is KWh calculated consumed by the lighting of a house?
Calculating the energy consumed by the lighting of a house implies considering the power of the bulbs and the duration of its operation. As we always like to have practice, we leave you an example of how to perform this calculation:
Suppose you have five 10 -watt LED bulbs each and use them for five hours a day.
Total power of the bulbs:
● 5 bulbs x 10 watts/bulb = 50 watts
Convert power to kilowatts:
● 50 watts / 1000 = 0.05 kilowatts
Duration of daily use:
● 0.05 kilowatts x 5 hours = 0.25 kilowatts
Monthly duration (assuming a month of 30 days):
● 0.25 kilowatts-Hora x 30 days = 7.5 kilowatts
This simple calculation provides you with an estimate of the monthly energy consumption of your bulbs. Repeating the process for other devices and adding them, you will get the total consumption of kilowatts-Hora in your home.
In conclusion, the Kilovatio-Hora is an essential unit to quantify the consumption of electricity. Understand the difference between Kilovatio-Hora and Kilovatio, as well as knowing how consumption is measured in a home and making specific calculations for individual devices, empowers consumers to make informed decisions about the efficient use of energy in their homes.
The awareness of these concepts contributes not only to the effective management of energy costs, but also to the reduction of environmental impact associated with excessive consumption.