Engineering

Heat Transfer Coefficient Converter

The heat transfer coefficient — the U-value in building work — is how much heat crosses a surface per unit area for each degree of temperature difference. The SI unit is the watt per square meter kelvin. US practice uses BTU per hour per square foot per °F, which is about 5.68 times larger.

12 units supported Base unit watt per square meter k (W/(m²·K))

1 W/(m²·K)
0.17611018 BTU/(h·ft²·°F)

Multiply the number of watts per square meter k by 0.176110183682 to get btu (it) per hour ft² °f. How this is calculated

About heat transfer coefficient conversion

Heat Transfer Coefficient conversion is commonly needed when window and insulation U-values, heat exchangers, and HVAC design. A US U-value in BTU per hour per square foot per °F is about 5.68 times the SI value in W/(m²·K).

Convert Watt per Square Meter K to other heat transfer coefficient units

1 W/(m²·K) expressed in every other heat transfer coefficient unit on this site.

  • Watt per Square Meter °C W/(m²·°C) 1
  • Joule per Second Square Meter K J/(s·m²·K) 1
  • Kilowatt per Square Meter K kW/(m²·K) 0.001
  • Calorie (IT) per Second cm² °C cal/(s·cm²·°C) 0.00002388459
  • Kilocalorie (IT) per Hour m² °C kcal/(h·m²·°C) 0.85984523
  • Kilocalorie (IT) per Hour ft² °C kcal/(h·ft²·°C) 0.079882236
  • BTU (IT) per Second ft² °F BTU/(s·ft²·°F) 0.000048919495
  • BTU (th) per Second ft² °F BTU(th)/(s·ft²·°F) 0.000048952233
  • BTU (IT) per Hour ft² °F BTU/(h·ft²·°F) 0.17611018
  • BTU (th) per Hour ft² °F BTU(th)/(h·ft²·°F) 0.17622804
  • CHU per Hour ft² °C CHU/(h·ft²·°C) 0.17611018

Complete list of heat transfer coefficient units

All 12 units this converter supports, each stated against the watt per square meter k (W/(m²·K)).

12 units

Every heat transfer coefficient unit, stated against the watt per square meter k
Unit Symbol System In watts per square meter k Conversions
Watt per Square Meter K W/(m²·K) SI base unit (W/(m²·K))
Watt per Square Meter °C W/(m²·°C) SI 1 W/(m²·°C) = 1 W/(m²·K)
Joule per Second Square Meter K J/(s·m²·K) SI 1 J/(s·m²·K) = 1 W/(m²·K)
Kilowatt per Square Meter K kW/(m²·K) SI 1 kW/(m²·K) = 1,000 W/(m²·K)
Calorie (IT) per Second cm² °C cal/(s·cm²·°C) Metric 1 cal/(s·cm²·°C) = 41,868 W/(m²·K)
Kilocalorie (IT) per Hour m² °C kcal/(h·m²·°C) Metric 1 kcal/(h·m²·°C) = 1.163 W/(m²·K)
Kilocalorie (IT) per Hour ft² °C kcal/(h·ft²·°C) Metric 1 kcal/(h·ft²·°C) = 12.5184278146 W/(m²·K)
BTU (IT) per Second ft² °F BTU/(s·ft²·°F) Imperial 1 BTU/(s·ft²·°F) = 20,441.748028 W/(m²·K)
BTU (th) per Second ft² °F BTU(th)/(s·ft²·°F) Imperial 1 BTU(th)/(s·ft²·°F) = 20,428.0772306 W/(m²·K)
BTU (IT) per Hour ft² °F BTU/(h·ft²·°F) Imperial 1 BTU/(h·ft²·°F) = 5.67826334111 W/(m²·K)
BTU (th) per Hour ft² °F BTU(th)/(h·ft²·°F) Imperial 1 BTU(th)/(h·ft²·°F) = 5.6744658974 W/(m²·K)
CHU per Hour ft² °C CHU/(h·ft²·°C) Imperial 1 CHU/(h·ft²·°C) = 5.67826334111 W/(m²·K)

Scroll the table sideways to see every column.

Frequently asked questions

What is the base unit for heat transfer coefficient?

Heat Transfer Coefficient conversions on this site are calculated against the watt per square meter k (W/(m²·K)).

Which heat transfer coefficient units can I convert?

You can convert between 12 units, including watt per square meter k, watt per square meter °c, joule per second square meter k, kilowatt per square meter k, and more.

Where is heat transfer coefficient conversion useful?

It is commonly needed when window and insulation U-values, heat exchangers, and HVAC design.

Does this converter mix measurement systems?

The converter supports SI, Metric, Imperial units and keeps their exact definitions separate so results stay accurate.

Related categories

Conversion factors are based on internationally agreed unit definitions. See our methodology and sources for details on how these values are verified.