Energy Converter

Convert between different energy units including Joules, kilowatt-hours, calories, BTU, and more. Perfect for electrical calculations, nutrition planning, heating/cooling, and renewable energy applications.

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Common Energy Conversions

Energy Units & Applications Guide

Energy is the capacity to do work or produce heat. Different industries use various units, with Joules being the SI standard, kWh for electricity, calories for food, and BTU for heating/cooling.

Common Energy Units

Joule (J)

SI unit of energy, used in physics and engineering

SI

Kilowatt-hour (kWh)

Electrical energy unit used in utility bills

Electrical

Kilocalorie (kcal)

Food energy unit, often called "Calorie" on labels

Food

British Thermal Unit (BTU)

Thermal energy unit for heating and cooling systems

Thermal

Watt-hour (Wh)

Small electrical energy unit for batteries and devices

Electrical

Conversion Factors

From To Multiply by
kWh Joule 3,600,000
kcal Joule 4,184
BTU Joule 1,055
kWh kcal 860
Therm BTU 100,000

Energy vs Power

  • Energy: Total amount of work that can be done (kWh, Joules)
  • Power: Rate of energy consumption (kW, Watts)
  • Formula: Energy = Power × Time
  • Example: 100W bulb × 10 hours = 1 kWh

Application Examples

Electrical

  • • Utility bills
  • • Solar systems
  • • Battery storage
  • • Electric vehicles

Nutrition

  • • Food labels
  • • Diet planning
  • • Exercise calories
  • • Metabolism

HVAC

  • • Heating systems
  • • Air conditioning
  • • Insulation planning
  • • Energy efficiency

Renewable

  • • Solar panels
  • • Wind turbines
  • • Energy storage
  • • Grid integration

Pro Tip

When comparing energy costs, convert everything to the same unit. For example, 1 kWh of electricity ≈ 860 kcal ≈ 3,412 BTU for direct energy comparison.

Energy Converter Answers

What does an energy converter do?

An energy converter allows you to quickly convert between different units of energy, such as joules, kilojoules, calories, kilocalories, watt-hours, and more.

Why are there so many energy units?

Different fields use different units — for example, physics uses joules, nutrition uses kilocalories, and electricity often uses kilowatt-hours. A converter helps bridge these unit systems easily.

Is this tool useful for real-world applications?

Yes. Whether you're measuring food energy, electrical usage, or mechanical work, this tool helps ensure accuracy in unit conversion across various scientific and practical tasks.

Does it support both metric and imperial units?

Absolutely. The energy converter supports a wide range of units from both the metric system (like joules and kilojoules) and non-metric systems (like BTUs or foot-pounds).

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