Abrasive Blasting, Shot Peening & Surface Prep worked example

Blast Compressor Energy Cost at 99% loaded blast duty cycle: a worked example

What does the result look like when loaded blast duty cycle reaches 99%? The full calculation is worked below with real intermediate numbers. you need to include compressor electricity in a blast quote or compare energy impact between setups

The inputs for this scenario

  • Compressor electricity consumed per job: 850 kWh (unchanged)
  • Utility electricity rate: 0.14 $ / kWh (unchanged)
  • Loaded blast duty cycle: 99 % (raised for this scenario; the documented default is 88)
  • Demand and fixed energy charges: 35 $ (unchanged)

Working through the calculation

  • Applying the documented formula (Loaded energy cost = compressor energy × utility energy rate × loaded blast duty) to the inputs above produces each figure below.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 153 $ for compressor energy cost, the number this scenario is built around.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 0.18 $ / kWh for energy cost per kwh entered.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 118 $ for loaded energy cost.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 35 $ for demand/fixed charge.

How this compares with the baseline

  • Against the tool's baseline example, where loaded blast duty cycle sits at 88% and the headline result is 140 $, this scenario comes in 9.37% above the baseline at 153 $.
  • A figure at this level is achievable when loaded blast duty cycle is genuinely sustained, not just peaked for a shift. It treats the duty cycle as a single average; real compressors cycle between loaded and unloaded states, and the entered kWh must already reflect actual draw rather than nameplate rating for the result to be accurate.

Results at a glance

  • Compressor energy cost: 153 $ (headline result)
  • Energy cost per kWh entered: 0.18 $ / kWh
  • Loaded energy cost: 118 $
  • Demand/fixed charge: 35 $

Run it with your numbers

  • Every input above is editable in the live Blast Compressor Energy Cost calculator, which recalculates instantly and can be shared with the inputs intact.

Last reviewed 2026-05-12.