Calculate This № 11 · Power
Instrument № 11 - Power

Amp-Hour
Conversions

Three related calculations in one place: watts to amp-hours, amps to amp-hours, and runtime from a battery you already own.

Energy
Wh = V × Ah

Current
I = P ÷ V

Runtime
t = capacity ÷ load
What are you calculating?
Load & duration
System
Recommended capacity -
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The relationships

Amp-hours, watts, voltage, and runtime are all the same physics expressed four different ways. Each calculation is just an algebraic rearrangement of the same equation.

energy_Wh = capacity_Ah × voltage
current_A = power_W ÷ voltage
runtime_h = capacity_Ah ÷ current_A

Every real-world correction - efficiency, usable depth-of-discharge, Peukert effects - shows up as a multiplier on one of those three numbers.

Frequently asked

Do I need to apply efficiency twice?

Once is usually right. If your load is a DC device on the battery directly (no inverter), set efficiency to 100% - there’s no AC conversion happening. If it’s an AC appliance through an inverter, 85–92% is realistic.

Why does the Watts → Ah tab give a different number than Amps → Ah?

Because Watts → Ah assumes AC loads through an inverter (with inverter losses), and Amps → Ah assumes a DC load drawing current directly. For the same energy, the AC path needs a bigger battery to cover the inverter overhead.

What’s a sensible usable DoD?

LiFePO₄ - 80–95% (most BMS protect at 10%). AGM - 60% comfortable. Flooded lead-acid - 50% for daily cycling; 80% for occasional deep discharge if you accept shorter life.