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Glossary Science & Engineering

Kilowatt-hour (kWh)

A kilowatt-hour is the energy used by a 1,000-watt device running for one hour, the unit on electricity bills.

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In more detail

A 1,500 W heater used 4 hours a day for 30 days uses 180 kWh, costing $27.00 at $0.15 per kWh. Divide watts by 1,000 and multiply by hours to get kWh.

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See also

  • Glossary Ohm's law
    Ohm's law states that the current through a conductor equals the voltage across it divided by its resistance: `V = I × R`.
  • Glossary Peak sun hours
    Peak sun hours are the number of hours per day the sun delivers 1,000 watts per square metre, the unit used to size solar panels.
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