Payment Terminal & Retail Hardware worked example

Security Audit Workload with audit-rig connected electrical load of 30 kW: a worked example

What does the result look like when audit-rig connected electrical load reaches 30 kW? The full calculation is worked below with real intermediate numbers. Use it when security audit workload in payment terminal and retail hardware is being quoted and energy is a real chunk of the payment terminal and retail hardware cost stack.

The inputs for this scenario

  • Audit-rig connected electrical load: 30 kW (raised for this scenario; the documented default is 12)
  • Audit test runtime: 8 hr (unchanged)
  • Blended electricity rate: 0.12 $ / kWh (unchanged)
  • Terminals audited during the run: 1,000 units (unchanged)

Working through the calculation

  • Applying the documented formula (Total security audit workload energy cost = security audit workload connected load × security audit workload runtime × blended electricity rate) to the inputs above produces each figure below.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 240 kWh for security audit workload energy used, the number this scenario is built around.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 28.8 $ for total security audit workload energy cost.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 0.03 $ / piece for energy cost per kwh.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 3.6 $ / hr for hourly security audit workload energy cost.

How this compares with the baseline

  • Against the tool's baseline example, where audit-rig connected electrical load sits at 12 kW and the headline result is 96 kWh, this scenario comes in 150% above the baseline at 240 kWh.
  • A figure at this level is achievable when audit-rig connected electrical load is genuinely sustained, not just peaked for a shift. It counts only the rig's connected electrical load; HVAC to cool the lab, standby draw between runs, and labor are not included.

Results at a glance

  • Security audit workload energy used: 240 kWh (headline result)
  • Total security audit workload energy cost: 28.8 $
  • Energy cost per kWh: 0.03 $ / piece
  • Hourly security audit workload energy cost: 3.6 $ / hr

Run it with your numbers

  • Every input above is editable in the live Security Audit Workload calculator, which recalculates instantly and can be shared with the inputs intact.

Last reviewed 2026-05-12.