Advanced Technical Ceramics worked example

Ceramic Firing Energy Cost at 99% billable-to-customer firing share: a worked example

Push billable-to-customer firing share up to 99% and the picture changes. This example computes every intermediate figure at that operating point. an estimator or kiln operator needs to estimate energy cost for a ceramic firing batch

The inputs for this scenario

  • Kiln energy consumed per firing: 1,450 kWh or therms (unchanged)
  • Utility energy price: 0.13 $ / energy unit (unchanged)
  • Billable-to-customer firing share: 99 % (raised for this scenario; the documented default is 92)
  • Controlled-atmosphere and utility setup cost: 180 $ (unchanged)

Working through the calculation

  • Applying the documented formula (Chargeable firing energy cost = kiln energy used × energy price × chargeable production share) to the inputs above produces each figure below.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 367 $ firing energy for ceramic firing energy cost, the number this scenario is built around.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 0.25 $ / energy unit for energy price.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 187 $ firing energy for chargeable firing energy cost.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 180 $ for atmosphere and utility setup cost.

How this compares with the baseline

  • Against the tool's baseline example, where billable-to-customer firing share sits at 92% and the headline result is 353 $ firing energy, this scenario comes in 3.73% above the baseline at 367 $ firing energy.
  • It multiplies kiln energy by unit price and the billable production share to get chargeable energy, then adds the atmosphere and utility setup cost for a total firing cost. The value of this scenario is the size of the gap it exposes: that gap, priced out over a year, is the budget you can justify spending to close it.

Results at a glance

  • Ceramic firing energy cost: 367 $ firing energy (headline result)
  • Energy price: 0.25 $ / energy unit
  • Chargeable firing energy cost: 187 $ firing energy
  • Atmosphere and utility setup cost: 180 $

Run it with your numbers

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

Last reviewed 2026-05-12.