How many kva do you need in a generator?

Answer 1

Here, K means Kilo and refers only to magnitude. VA is Volt * Ampere. VA is complex power or apparent power if you like. Complex power (S) is made up active (P) and reactive (Q) power like S = P^2 + Q^2. All power really is complex power but it is still more common to simply use the term power and only consider active power. Active power is measured in Watt and represents the power that does the actual work. A heater for example draws almost only active power and has a power factor very close to 1. A motor on the other hand draws a significant amount of reactive power. When designing a power transmission to serve reactive load, S must be considered since it will represent the total power and be larger than P only.

Answer 2

The KVA (kilo-volt-ampere) rating required for a generator depends on the total electrical load you want to power. To determine the right KVA for your needs, add up the power consumption in kilowatts (kW) of all the appliances you plan to run simultaneously and divide by the power factor to get the KVA rating. It's recommended to have a generator with a slightly higher KVA rating to handle potential surges in power demand.

Answer 3

The load is what governs the kva sizing of the generator. The bigger the load the higher the kva needed.