Industrial Filtration, Separation & Dust Collection worked example

Fan Horsepower with connected dust collector fan load of 15 kW: a worked example

Here is what the math looks like when conditions slip. We hold every other input steady and drop connected dust collector fan load to 15 kW, then walk the calculation through step by step. Estimate fan horsepower energy cost from connected fan load, runtime, electricity cost, and collectors or units served.

The inputs for this scenario

  • Connected dust collector fan load: 15 kW (the input this scenario stresses; the baseline uses 30)
  • Fan operating runtime: 2,000 hr (held at the documented default)
  • Blended electricity price: 0.13 $ / kWh (held at the documented default)
  • Collectors or lines served: 1 collectors (held at the documented default)

Working through the calculation

  • The calculation starts from the formula this tool documents: Fan energy cost = connected dust collector fan load × fan operating runtime × blended electricity price.
  • Fan energy cost works out to 3,900 $ at these inputs, and this is the headline figure for the scenario.
  • Energy used works out to 30,000 kWh at these inputs.
  • Cost per piece works out to 3,900 $ / piece at these inputs.
  • Hourly cost works out to 1.95 $ / hr at these inputs.

How this compares with the baseline

  • Against the tool's baseline example, where connected dust collector fan load sits at 30 kW and the headline result is 7,800 $, this scenario comes in 50% below the baseline at 3,900 $.
  • The practical read: the gap between this scenario and the baseline is entirely attributable to connected dust collector fan load, so recovering it is worth quantifying in dollars before considering equipment or staffing changes. It uses the connected nameplate kW as a constant draw, so it overstates cost for fans that already throttle with a VFD or that idle during non-production hours unless you trim the runtime accordingly.

Results at a glance

  • Fan energy cost: 3,900 $ (headline result)
  • Energy used: 30,000 kWh
  • Cost per piece: 3,900 $ / piece
  • Hourly cost: 1.95 $ / hr

Run it with your numbers

  • To rerun this with your own numbers, open the live Fan Horsepower calculator, set connected dust collector fan load to your actual value, and adjust the remaining inputs to match your operation.

Last reviewed 2026-05-12.