Abrasive Blasting, Shot Peening & Surface Prep worked example

Blast Compressor Energy Cost at 63% loaded blast duty cycle: a worked example

Here is what the math looks like when conditions slip. We hold every other input steady and drop loaded blast duty cycle to 63%, then walk the calculation through step by step. Estimate electrical energy cost from compressor kWh, utility rate, loaded duty percentage, and demand or fixed charges.

The inputs for this scenario

  • Compressor electricity consumed per job: 850 kWh (held at the documented default)
  • Utility electricity rate: 0.14 $ / kWh (held at the documented default)
  • Loaded blast duty cycle: 63 % (the input this scenario stresses; the baseline uses 88)
  • Demand and fixed energy charges: 35 $ (held at the documented default)

Working through the calculation

  • The calculation starts from the formula this tool documents: Loaded energy cost = compressor energy × utility energy rate × loaded blast duty.
  • Compressor energy cost works out to 110 $ at these inputs, and this is the headline figure for the scenario.
  • Energy cost per kWh entered works out to 0.13 $ / kWh at these inputs.
  • Loaded energy cost works out to 74.97 $ at these inputs.
  • Demand/fixed charge works out to 35 $ at these inputs.

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 21.29% below the baseline at 110 $.
  • The practical read: the gap between this scenario and the baseline is entirely attributable to loaded blast duty cycle, so recovering it is worth quantifying in dollars before considering equipment or staffing changes. 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: 110 $ (headline result)
  • Energy cost per kWh entered: 0.13 $ / kWh
  • Loaded energy cost: 74.97 $
  • Demand/fixed charge: 35 $

Run it with your numbers

  • To rerun this with your own numbers, open the live Blast Compressor Energy Cost calculator, set loaded blast duty cycle to your actual value, and adjust the remaining inputs to match your operation.

Last reviewed 2026-05-12.