Glossary · Energy, bills & ratings
Kilowatt (kW)
Also called: kilowatts
A rate of using or producing energy equal to 1,000 watts; running 1 kW for an hour uses 1 kilowatt-hour (kWh), the unit on your electricity bill.
What it means
Equipment capacity and solar panels are rated in kilowatts, while your bill counts kilowatt-hours of energy. A 3.5 kW air conditioner is a one-ton unit (12,000 BTU per hour). Solar rebates are often quoted per kW of panel capacity, and an electric heater's kW rating is also how much power it draws at full output.
Why it matters in an audit
Mixing up kW and kWh is common, and keeping them straight makes solar quotes and heating and cooling specs much easier to read.
Typical numbers
Reference values with their sources. Your energy advisor’s report gives the figure for your own house.
| What | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Conversions | 1 kW = 1,000 W ≈ 3,412 BTU per hour; 3.5 kW ≈ 1 ton of cooling | natural-resources.canada.ca ↗ |