wattstoamps
← Watts to amps calculator

Apparent power → current

kVA to amps calculator

Enter the kVA, voltage and AC circuit. Power factor is not needed when you already know apparent power.

Use total kVA across all phases. 1 kVA = 1,000 VA.

Enter the voltage across the single-phase load.

Calculated line current

41.667A

10 kVA · 240 V · single phase

I = 10 × 1,000 ÷ 240 = 41.667 A

The current is calculated for the entered apparent power. It is not a breaker or wire rating. Three-phase results assume a balanced load.

How to convert kVA to amps

First multiply kVA by 1,000 to get volt-amperes. For single-phase AC, divide that number by the RMS voltage across the load. For balanced three-phase AC, include the multiplier that matches your voltage reference.

Single phaseA = kVA × 1,000 ÷ V
Three phase, line to lineA = kVA × 1,000 ÷ (√3 × VLL)
Three phase, line to neutralA = kVA × 1,000 ÷ (3 × VLN)

These equations give line current, with kVA representing the total for the circuit. Schneider Electric’s transformer-current reference describes the single-phase and three-phase line-to-line calculation. The calculator uses the full square root of three internally and rounds only the displayed result.

Why there is no power factor box

kVA measures apparent power; kW measures real power. They are related by kW = kVA × power factor, as explained in Eaton’s guide to VA and watts. Once apparent power is known, an additional power-factor adjustment would change the quantity you started with.

For example, 10 kVA at 240 V single phase corresponds to 41.667 A. If the load’s power factor is 0.8, its real power is 8 kW. That does not turn the 10 kVA calculation into 52.083 A: the current already follows from the stated apparent power and voltage.

If your label gives W or kW, use the watts to amps calculator, where power factor is an explicit input. The main tool also supports DC, reverse conversion and batch results.

Choose the voltage that matches the load

The two numbers on a system label are not interchangeable. In a nominal 480/277 V wye system, 480 V is line to line and 277 V is nominally line to neutral. Use 480 with the line-to-line option, or the corresponding line-to-neutral voltage with that option. The nominal pair is rounded, so entering 277 instead of 480 ÷ √3 produces a small numerical difference.

A single-phase load connected across two lines of a three-phase supply still uses the single-phase calculation for that load. The balanced three-phase option is for a total load spread across all three phases. A single total kVA cannot reveal every line current in an unbalanced system.

Worked kVA to amps examples

Illustrative inputs; current rounded to three decimals
kVAAC voltageCircuitAmps
5120 VSingle phase41.667
10240 VSingle phase41.667
30480 V LLBalanced three phase36.084
75208 V LLBalanced three phase208.179

In the 30 kVA example, divide 30,000 by √3 × 480. The result is about 36.084 A in each line of the balanced system; do not add the three currents and label that sum as line current.

A nameplate’s capacity rating describes a rating point, not necessarily the load currently being drawn. Use actual apparent power if your question is about operating current. Equipment limits and installation decisions require information beyond this conversion.

A focused companion to the main converter

This page keeps the kVA calculation short: circuit, voltage, result. It runs locally in your browser and saves no inputs. Copy includes the circuit and voltage reference so the number keeps its context. For more options, return to the full power and current converter.

Found a confusing label or a calculation issue? Email contact@wattstoamps.app.