Generator Hire Explained: kW and kVA
In this post we examine the difference between kW and kVA. We’re looking at generator hire in relation to this topic, and we hope that you’ve gained some understanding of it by the time you’re done with this post! It’s important to know how much power you need in either kW or kVA and if you can convert the two, even better.
There’s power and there’s power
kW is how much power an electrical system has and this will give you an idea of how much power you’ll need to convert out. kVA is the measure of that power, so while kW will tell you how much power you have to work with, kVA will tell you how much the system is using.
In a perfect world, the kW and the kVA would be equal to each other
However, this is not always the case. In order to convert the kW to kVA, you will need certain information, that being the actual efficiency of the system you’re using. From 0 - 1, the power factor, known as pf, is measured and usually a generator, the type we provide for hire will give a power factor of around 0.8. There are formulas you can use to convert when you’re working with these two things. They are:
To convert from kW to kVA: kW / pf = kVA e.g. 200 kW / 0.8 pf = 250 kVA
To convert from kVA to kW : kVA x pf = kW e.g. 250 kVA x 0.8 pf = 200 kW
Don’t let it phase you, hire from us and you won’t have to worry about power conversions.
This can be quite daunting if you’re looking to buy a generator, and important to know the size you’ll be needing. You may not feel particularly confident in converting kW to kVA and vice versa. However, there is some good news. If you hire a generator from us here at Generator Hire Solutions, this will be the least of your worries because we can help you identify the right generator for the project you’ll be working on.
Friendly team, all the help you’ll need to find the right generator to hire.
You can talk to one of our friendly team members and give us the details of your new project and from there we can deduce which one is right for you. We have many years of experience in this area so no complex project or event is ever going to leave us confused. We can help advise on the size of the fuel tank, the size of the generator you’re going to need and any other details that need ironing out.
Generator Hire Solutions - for all your generator hire needs.
If you need generator hire you won’t find a better team to help you - with the years of experience we have under our belts we can go through all the fine details with you. Contact us today.