How do you calculate commissioning energy and cost?

Multiply connected load by run time for kWh, then multiply by the electricity rate for cost. With 12 kW for 8 hours at $0.12/kWh, that is 96 kWh costing $11.52, or about $1.44 per hour.

What is the energy cost per machine during commissioning?

Divide total energy cost by machines commissioned in the run. In the example, $11.52 across 1000 units works out to roughly $0.0115 per machine, since the run is shared across many units rather than one.

Should I use peak or average load for the connected-load input?

Use average load if you have it, because commissioning cycles between idle and full draw. Using peak connected load gives a conservative upper-bound energy figure, which is fine for sizing feeders but overstates the per-unit cost.

Does this include charging losses for battery-electric machines?

No. The calculator measures the energy the machine consumes during commissioning. For battery-electric loaders you should add charger and rectifier losses, typically 5 to 15 percent, on top of the computed kWh.

How do I cut commissioning energy cost?

Shorten the run time, reduce simultaneous full-load operation, or commission during off-peak rate windows. Halving the 8-hour run to 4 hours would cut the example from 96 kWh and $11.52 to 48 kWh and $5.76.

Why is the per-kWh display value so small?

The per-piece figure spreads the run's total cost across all units processed. With 1000 units sharing $11.52, each machine carries about 1.2 cents of commissioning energy, which is why per-unit energy is rarely the cost driver versus bay time.

Mining Vehicle & Underground Equipment calculator

Commissioning Load Calculator

Commissioning Load estimates the electricity a mining machine draws while it is run up, exercised, and signed off at end-of-line commissioning, and what that energy costs per machine. Test and commissioning engineers for haul trucks, battery-electric loaders, and underground utility vehicles use it because commissioning runs power packs, hydraulics, traction motors, and HVAC simultaneously for hours, and on battery-electric fleets that energy is a direct charging cost. Plant cost accountants fold the per-unit number into the cost of goods, while facilities teams use the connected-load figure to size feeders and demand charges. It converts a kW rating and a run time into kWh, dollars, and a clean per-machine figure.

What this calculator does

Estimate commissioning load for mining vehicle and underground equipment using production-ready inputs so teams can budget energy cost, compare equipment settings, or include electricity in the quote.
Use it when commissioning load in mining vehicle and underground equipment is being quoted and energy is a real chunk of the mining vehicle and underground equipment cost stack.
It computes commissioning energy in kWh, the total energy cost, the energy cost per machine, and the hourly cost from connected load, run time, rate, and units.

Formula used

Total commissioning load energy cost = commissioning load connected load × commissioning load runtime × blended electricity rate
Energy cost per kWh = total energy cost ÷ units processed during runtime

Inputs explained

Connected electrical load during commissioning:
Commissioning run time:
Blended electricity rate:
Machines commissioned during the run:

How to use the result

Use it when costing a commissioning procedure, sizing electrical supply for a test bay, or comparing the energy burden of a long burn-in against a shorter sequence.
Connected load is treated as a constant draw, but real commissioning ramps between idle and full load, so this is an upper-bound estimate unless you enter an average load.

Current U.S. benchmarks

As of Apr 2026, industrial electricity averages 8.7 cents per kWh across the U.S. (EIA), up 5.5% from a year earlier. State averages range widely, so plants should confirm against their own tariff.
U.S. light vehicles sell at a 16.9 million annual rate (BEA, Jun 2026), up 4.1% from a year earlier, the volume signal for automotive supply chains.
Steel mill PPI stands at 348.53 (BLS, May 2026), up 6.7% from a year earlier. New factory orders are up 2.3% year over year (Census).
The U.S. has 11,691 transportation equipment establishments employing about 1,682,910 workers (Census County Business Patterns, 2023).

Common questions

How do you calculate commissioning energy and cost? Multiply connected load by run time for kWh, then multiply by the electricity rate for cost. With 12 kW for 8 hours at $0.12/kWh, that is 96 kWh costing $11.52, or about $1.44 per hour.
What is the energy cost per machine during commissioning? Divide total energy cost by machines commissioned in the run. In the example, $11.52 across 1000 units works out to roughly $0.0115 per machine, since the run is shared across many units rather than one.
Should I use peak or average load for the connected-load input? Use average load if you have it, because commissioning cycles between idle and full draw. Using peak connected load gives a conservative upper-bound energy figure, which is fine for sizing feeders but overstates the per-unit cost.
Does this include charging losses for battery-electric machines? No. The calculator measures the energy the machine consumes during commissioning. For battery-electric loaders you should add charger and rectifier losses, typically 5 to 15 percent, on top of the computed kWh.
How do I cut commissioning energy cost? Shorten the run time, reduce simultaneous full-load operation, or commission during off-peak rate windows. Halving the 8-hour run to 4 hours would cut the example from 96 kWh and $11.52 to 48 kWh and $5.76.

Last reviewed 2026-05-12.