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Multiple conversions
To convert apparent power from volt-amperes (VA) to millivolt-amperes (mVA), multiply by 1,000.
The milli prefix means one thousandth, so one volt-ampere contains exactly 1,000 millivolt-amperes. Divide by 1,000 to go from mVA back to VA.
A plug-in energy monitor reports that a television in standby draws 0.45 VA of apparent power. A datasheet comparison table is kept in mVA:
Stated as 450 mVA, the figure lines up directly against a competing model's quoted 300 mVA standby draw.
| VA | mVA |
|---|---|
| 0.001 | 1 |
| 0.05 | 50 |
| 0.45 | 450 |
| 1 | 1,000 |
| 5 | 5,000 |
| 15 | 15,000 |
Millivolt-amperes appear where AC power is almost, but not quite, zero. Standby electronics are the most common case: modern efficiency rules push no-load losses of chargers and appliances below 0.5 W, and at those levels the apparent power — often several times the real power, because tiny switched-mode supplies present a poor power factor — is naturally quoted in hundreds of mVA. Instrumentation is the other habitat: the excitation of a small sensor, the burden a measuring relay places on an instrument transformer's secondary, or the AC drive level of an impedance bridge may each amount to only a few mVA. The conversion itself is a clean ×1,000, but two habits keep the numbers meaningful. First, remember that VA ≥ W always — if a device claims 200 mW standby real power, its mVA figure can legitimately be 400–600 mVA without anything being wrong. Second, watch the capital letters: mVA is millivolt-amperes, while MVA — the same letters with a capital M — is a billion times larger. Context usually disambiguates, but on a keyboard the two are one shift-key apart.
To convert from Volt-Ampere (VA) to Kilovolt-Ampere (kVA), use the following formula:
Kilovolt-Ampere (kVA)
= 11000× Volt-Ampere (VA)
= 0.001× Volt-Ampere (VA)
To convert from Volt-Ampere (VA) to Megavolt-Ampere (MVA), use the following formula:
Megavolt-Ampere (MVA)
= 1106× Volt-Ampere (VA)
= 10-6× Volt-Ampere (VA)
To convert from Volt-Ampere (VA) to Gigavolt-Ampere (GVA), use the following formula:
Gigavolt-Ampere (GVA)
= 1109× Volt-Ampere (VA)
= 10-9× Volt-Ampere (VA)
A Volt-Ampere (VA) is a unit of measurement for "apparent power" in an electrical circuit.
It represents the total power supplied by a source, which is critical for understanding a device's full electrical load.
Think of VA as the total potential power a device can draw.
In contrast, Watts (W) measures the actual working power the device consumes.
This is the key difference between "apparent power" (VA) and "real power" (Watts). The VA rating is always greater than or equal to the wattage.
The difference between these two measurements is known as the "power factor (PF)."
The VA rating is crucial for correctly sizing equipment like uninterruptible power supplies (UPS) and transformers.
Why? Because these devices must support the entire electrical load—which includes both real and reactive power—not just the power being actively used.
Sizing a UPS based only on Watts could lead to overloading and system failure, as it wouldn't account for the total current the connected devices draw.
The formula to calculate Volt-Amperes is straightforward:
VA = Volts × Amperes
By multiplying a device's operating voltage by the current (in amps) it draws, you can determine its apparent power.
This calculation is essential for IT professionals and electricians when assessing power needs or planning for new hardware.