How do you calculate FAT energy consumption?

Multiply connected load by runtime for kWh, then multiply by the energy rate for cost. A 12 kW rig for 8 hours draws 96 kWh, costing 11.52 dollars at 0.12 per kWh.

What is the energy cost per unit during FAT?

Divide total energy cost by units processed. With 11.52 dollars across 1,000 units, the energy cost per unit is about 0.0115 dollars, a tiny slice that still belongs in job cost.

Why use connected load instead of measured draw?

Connected load is the fast planning proxy. If a test only loads motors intermittently, actual metered kWh will run below the 96 kWh figure, so treat this as an upper-bound estimate.

What's the hourly energy cost of a FAT run?

Divide total cost by runtime. Here 11.52 dollars over 8 hours is 1.44 dollars per hour, useful for comparing test bays or costing overtime test shifts.

Should regenerative braking change the number?

Yes. Crane hoist tests that regenerate can return energy to the bus, so a rig with regen recovery will consume less than the flat connected-load estimate suggests.

How do I lower FAT energy cost per unit?

Raise the units processed per run or shorten runtime without cutting test coverage. Batching more units under one 8-hour run spreads the same 96 kWh over more pieces.

Port, Crane & Terminal Equipment calculator

FAT Workload Calculator

FAT workload energy is the electricity a factory acceptance test rig draws while powering up and exercising cranes, drives, or terminal equipment before shipment. Test engineers and plant controllers use it to book the energy cost of FAT into the job and to spot when a test bay's draw is out of line. It ties connected load, runtime, and your blended tariff into a single kWh figure and a per-unit cost. On a busy test bay running multiple crane systems, that energy line adds up fast and belongs in the job cost, not the overhead sink.

What this calculator does

Estimate fat workload for port, crane and terminal equipment using production-ready inputs so teams can budget energy cost, compare equipment settings, or include electricity in the quote.
Use it when fat workload in port, crane and terminal equipment is being quoted and energy is a real chunk of the port, crane and terminal equipment cost stack.
It computes the kWh a FAT run consumes and converts that into total energy cost and an energy cost spread across the units tested.

Formula used

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

Inputs explained

FAT test rig connected load:
FAT test runtime:
Blended electricity rate:
Units processed during the FAT run:

How to use the result

Use it when costing factory acceptance testing energy or benchmarking a test bay's power draw against runtime.
It uses a flat connected load, so it overstates energy for tests that idle between motion cycles and understates peaks under full regenerative 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. housing starts run at 1,177k per year (Census, May 2026), down 8.7% from a year earlier, the demand driver for building products.
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).

Common questions

How do you calculate FAT energy consumption? Multiply connected load by runtime for kWh, then multiply by the energy rate for cost. A 12 kW rig for 8 hours draws 96 kWh, costing 11.52 dollars at 0.12 per kWh.
What is the energy cost per unit during FAT? Divide total energy cost by units processed. With 11.52 dollars across 1,000 units, the energy cost per unit is about 0.0115 dollars, a tiny slice that still belongs in job cost.
Why use connected load instead of measured draw? Connected load is the fast planning proxy. If a test only loads motors intermittently, actual metered kWh will run below the 96 kWh figure, so treat this as an upper-bound estimate.
What's the hourly energy cost of a FAT run? Divide total cost by runtime. Here 11.52 dollars over 8 hours is 1.44 dollars per hour, useful for comparing test bays or costing overtime test shifts.
Should regenerative braking change the number? Yes. Crane hoist tests that regenerate can return energy to the bus, so a rig with regen recovery will consume less than the flat connected-load estimate suggests.

Last reviewed 2026-05-12.