What can a 5kVA inverter carry? Load capacity in watts
By the SmartSolarSizer team · Published
Quick answer
How much load can a 5kVA inverter carry? Up to 5,000 watts if it's rated 5 kW, as many hybrid solar inverters are, or about 4,000 watts if it works at a 0.8 power factor. For everyday use, keep the load under about 80% of that: roughly 4,000 W on a 5,000 W model. That's enough for one 1.5 ton inverter AC with fans, lights, a fridge and a TV, or two inverter ACs with little else, but not an electric geyser. For example, one inverter AC, four fans, eight LED lights, a fridge, TV, laptop and router add up to about 2,500 W, half of a 5,000 W inverter.
5 kVA inverter load calculator
Tick off what you'd run at the same time. The calculator adds up the watts and checks them against the inverter.
One 48 V 100 Ah battery is 5.12 kWh. Enter 0 to skip.
| Appliance | How many |
|---|
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Appliance watts are typical planning figures; check your own labels. Surge check assumes the inverter gives twice its rating for a few seconds. Backup time assumes a lithium battery, 90% usable and 90% inverter efficiency.
How many watts is a 5kVA inverter?
kVA (kilovolt-amperes) measures apparent power; watts measure the real power your appliances use. To convert 5kVA to watts, use the power factor: watts = kVA × 1,000 × power factor. A 5kVA inverter with a power factor of 1 gives 5,000 W; one with 0.8 gives 4,000 W. The label or datasheet tells you which you have.
| Inverter (5 kVA class) | Apparent power | Continuous watts | Surge | Battery |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deye SUN-5K-SG03LP1 (hybrid) | 5,500 VA max | 5,000 W | 2× rated for 10 s | 48 V (40–60 V) |
| Solis S6-EH1P5K-L-PLUS (hybrid) | 5 kVA | 5 kW | 2× rated for 10 s | 48 V (40–60 V) |
| Victron Phoenix Inverter Smart 48/5000 | 5,000 VA | 4,000 W at 25 °C, 3,700 W at 40 °C | 10,000 W peak | 48 V |
From the manufacturers' datasheets. Victron's ratings fall as the inverter heats up; see our inverter temperature derating calculator.
So "5kVA" can mean 4,000 W or 5,000 W of continuous power depending on the brand. The Deye and Solis hybrids give the full 5,000 W, while Victron's 5,000 VA model gives 80% of its VA rating. All three also carry a short surge, about twice their rating, for starting motors.
5kVA inverter load capacity: appliance load list
Here's how much each common appliance draws, and what share of a 5,000 W inverter it uses. Add up the shares of everything you run at once and keep the total under 80% (4,000 W). Start-up watts matter for anything with a motor or compressor: start those one at a time.
| Appliance | Running watts | Start-up watts | Share of a 5,000 W inverter |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.5 ton inverter AC | 1,600 W | 2,000 W | 32% |
| 1 ton inverter AC | 1,100 W | 1,450 W | 22% |
| 1.5 ton non-inverter AC | 2,200 W | 5,000 W | 44% |
| Window AC 12,000 BTU | 800 W | 2,400 W | 16% |
| Ceiling fan | 75 W | Same | 1.5% |
| DC inverter ceiling fan | 40 W | 55 W | 0.8% |
| Medium fridge | 300 W | 750 W | 6% |
| Full-size fridge | 700 W | 2,200 W | 14% |
| Deep freezer | 700 W | 2,200 W | 14% |
| LED light | 15 W | Same | 0.3% |
| TV | 120 W | Same | 2.4% |
| Washing machine | 1,150 W | 2,300 W | 23% |
| Clothes iron | 1,200 W | Same | 24% |
| 1 HP water pump | 850 W | 2,500 W | 17% |
| Microwave | 1,100 W | 1,400 W | 22% |
| Electric water heater / geyser | 4,500 W | Same | 90% |
| Laptop | 50 W | Same | 1% |
| Wi-Fi router | 10 W | Same | 0.2% |
Running and start-up watts are the planning figures our solar calculator uses. Check the labels on your own appliances, which can be higher or lower.
In practice you run a mix, not one appliance type. The load calculator above adds them up for you; here are some typical combinations:
| Load | Running total | Share of 5,000 W | 5,000 W inverter | 4,000 W inverter (0.8 power factor) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Basic home: 6 fans, 10 LED lights, medium fridge, TV, router, laptop | 1,080 W | 22% | Fits | Fits |
| Home with one AC: 1.5 ton inverter AC, 4 fans, 8 lights, fridge, TV, router, laptop | 2,500 W | 50% | Fits | Fits |
| Two ACs: two 1.5 ton inverter ACs, 4 fans, 8 lights, fridge, router | 3,930 W | 79% | Fits | Tight (over 80%) |
| Daytime chores: washing machine, water pump, iron, fridge, 4 fans, 6 lights | 3,890 W | 78% | Fits | Tight (over 80%) |
| Too much: two 1.5 ton inverter ACs plus washing machine, iron and fridge | 5,850 W | 117% | Overloaded | Overloaded |
Can a 5kVA inverter carry an AC?
Yes. A 1.5 ton inverter AC draws about 1,600 W when running flat out and about 2,000 W as it starts, so a 5kVA inverter carries one easily, with room for fans, lights, a fridge and a TV. A 1 ton inverter AC needs about 1,100 W.
Two 1.5 ton inverter ACs: both at full power take 3,200 W. With a fridge, four fans and eight lights, that's about 3,930 W: within a 5,000 W inverter but close to the 80% comfort level, and right at the limit of a 4,000 W model. Inverter ACs throttle back once the room is cool, so in practice two often run, but leave the washing machine and iron for later.
Non-inverter ACs are harder. A 1.5 ton non-inverter AC runs at about 2,200 W but can need around 5,000 W for a moment as its compressor starts. Starting one while the rest of a typical home runs needs about 5,900 W, within the 10,000 W surge of a 5,000 W hybrid; on a 4,000 W model, check the surge rating first. One non-inverter AC is fine; two is asking for trips. Our 1.5 ton AC guide covers panels and batteries for an AC.
What a 5kVA inverter can't carry
- An electric geyser or water heater at about 4,500 W uses nearly the whole inverter on its own.
- Everything at once. Two ACs, the washing machine, iron and fridge together come to about 5,850 W, over 5,000 W.
- Several motors starting together, such as a non-inverter AC, water pump and freezer kicking in at the same moment.
- Electric ovens, cookers and kettles in a busy kitchen, which are high-wattage loads: check their labels and add them up.
The fix is usually timing, not a bigger inverter: run the iron, pump and washing machine when the AC is off or the house is quiet.
How long will a 5kVA inverter run on batteries?
How long a 5kVA inverter lasts during a power cut depends on the battery, not the inverter. Backup time is battery energy divided by the load. 5kVA hybrid inverters usually run on a 48 V battery, as all three above do. With lithium (LFP) batteries:
| Load running | 5.12 kWh (one 48 V 100 Ah lithium) | 10.24 kWh (two) | 15.36 kWh (three) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 500 W | 8.1 h | 16.3 h | 24.4 h |
| 1,000 W | 4.1 h | 8.2 h | 12.3 h |
| 2,000 W | 2.1 h | 4.1 h | 6.2 h |
| 3,000 W | 1.4 h | 2.8 h | 4.1 h |
| 4,000 W | 1.0 h | 2.1 h | 3.1 h |
Assumes 90% of the battery is usable, 90% inverter efficiency and 10 W of inverter standby. Real times are shorter in very hot weather or with an old battery.
Lead-acid batteries give less. Four 12 V 200 Ah batteries hold 9.6 kWh, but you should only use about half, so they run a 1,000 W load for roughly 4.3 hours, and less at high loads, when lead-acid gives up energy faster. Size yours with the solar battery size calculator.
How many batteries does a 5kVA inverter need?
For a 48 V inverter, you need batteries that add up to 48 V: four 12 V batteries in series, or one 48 V lithium battery (usually 51.2 V). A 24 V inverter takes two 12 V batteries. How many sets you add in parallel depends on the backup time you want: each 48 V 100 Ah lithium module adds about 5 kWh. Always check the battery voltage on your inverter's datasheet before buying.
How many solar panels for a 5kVA inverter?
A good match is about 5 to 6 kW of panels: 10 panels of 550 W (5.50 kW). Many hybrid inverters accept more than their AC rating on the solar side; the Solis 5 kW model takes up to 8 kW of usable PV input (Solis datasheet). Never exceed the maximum PV power, voltage and current on your inverter's datasheet.
How much energy those panels make depends on your sunshine, measured in peak sun hours:
| Sunshine (typical day) | 10 × 550 W panels (5.50 kW) make about |
|---|---|
| 4 peak sun hours | 18.9 kWh |
| 5 peak sun hours | 23.6 kWh |
| 6 peak sun hours | 28.4 kWh |
Peak sun hours × array kW × 0.86 (14% system losses). Find your location's figure with the European Commission's free PVGIS tool.
For what that energy runs over a whole day, see what a 5 kW solar system can run.
3kVA vs 5kVA vs 10kVA inverter
| Inverter | Watts if rated kVA = kW | Watts at 0.8 power factor | Everyday load (80% of rated watts) | Largest AC load, with nothing else |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 kVA | 3,000 W | 2,400 W | 2,400 W | 1 × 1.5 ton inverter AC |
| 3.5 kVA | 3,500 W | 2,800 W | 2,800 W | 1 × 1.5 ton inverter AC |
| 5 kVA | 5,000 W | 4,000 W | 4,000 W | 2 × 1.5 ton inverter AC |
| 6 kVA | 6,000 W | 4,800 W | 4,800 W | 3 × 1.5 ton inverter AC |
| 8 kVA | 8,000 W | 6,400 W | 6,400 W | 4 × 1.5 ton inverter AC |
| 10 kVA | 10,000 W | 8,000 W | 8,000 W | 5 × 1.5 ton inverter AC |
"Largest AC load" counts 1.5 ton inverter ACs at 1,600 W each, at 80% of the watt rating, with nothing else running.
A 3 or 3.5 kVA inverter suits fans, lights, a fridge, TV and the odd short-run appliance. A 5kVA is the usual size for a family home that wants one or two inverter ACs. Go to 8 or 10 kVA for two or three ACs plus a pump, or if several people use heavy appliances at the same time.
Tips to get the most from a 5kVA inverter
- Keep the everyday load under 80%. It runs cooler and leaves room for motors to start.
- Start the biggest motor first. Switch on the AC or pump before the other loads, not after.
- Choose inverter appliances. Inverter ACs, fridges and DC fans start gently and use less power.
- Keep the inverter cool. Output drops in the heat: Victron rates its inverters at 90% at 40 °C (Victron). Mount it on a shaded wall with space around it.
- Check the watt rating, not just kVA. A "5 kVA" label can mean 4,000 or 5,000 W.
Common questions
Is a 5kVA inverter the same as 5kW?
Not always. Watts = kVA × power factor. Many hybrid solar inverters give 5,000 W from 5 kVA, but inverters with a 0.8 power factor give 4,000 W. Check the watt rating on the label or datasheet.
Can a 5kVA inverter carry a 1.5 ton AC?
Yes. A 1.5 ton inverter AC draws about 1,600 W, well within 5 kVA, leaving room for fans, lights, a fridge and TV. A non-inverter 1.5 ton AC also works, but its start-up surge of up to about 5,000 W makes running other heavy loads at the same moment risky.
Can a 5kVA inverter carry 2 ACs?
Two 1.5 ton inverter ACs at full power take about 3,200 W, which a 5,000 W inverter can carry with a few fans, lights and a fridge, but not much else. A 4,000 W model would be at its limit. Two non-inverter ACs are not recommended.
Can a 5kVA inverter run a water pump and fridge?
Yes. A 1 HP pump runs at about 850 W and a medium fridge at about 300 W. Their start-up surges are higher, so start the pump before switching on other heavy loads.
How many batteries do I need for a 5kVA inverter?
Most 5kVA inverters run on 48 V: four 12 V batteries in series, or one 48 V lithium battery. Add more in parallel for longer backup; each 48 V 100 Ah lithium module holds about 5 kWh.
What will a 5000 watt inverter run?
The same as a 5kVA inverter rated at 5 kW: about 4,000 W of everyday load comfortably, such as two inverter ACs with fans and lights, or one AC plus a fridge, TV, pump and washing machine, run at different times.
Planning a full solar system?
Add your appliances to the full calculator for the inverter size, panels and battery your home needs.
Open the full calculator →Sources
Inverter figures come from these datasheets, checked on 10 November 2026. Appliance watts are the planning figures used across our calculators.
- Deye SUN-3.6/5/6K-SG03LP1 datasheet
- Solis S6-EH1P(3-8)K-L-PLUS datasheet
- Victron Phoenix Inverter Smart technical specifications
- Victron: output rating, operating temperature and efficiency
- PVGIS 5.3, European Commission