Finishing worked example

Compressed Air Cost for Coating with compressor power for coating of 6 kW: a worked example

Here is what the math looks like when conditions slip. We hold every other input steady and drop compressor power for coating to 6 kW, then walk the calculation through step by step. Calculate compressed air energy cost for coating guns, blowoff, pumps, and booth equipment.

The inputs for this scenario

  • Compressor power for coating: 6 kW (the input this scenario stresses; the baseline uses 12)
  • Coating air runtime: 8 hr (held at the documented default)
  • Energy rate: 0.12 $ / kWh (held at the documented default)
  • Parts coated: 1,000 parts (held at the documented default)

Working through the calculation

  • The calculation starts from the formula this tool documents: Energy cost = connected load × runtime × energy rate.
  • Energy cost works out to 5.76 $ / shift at these inputs, and this is the headline figure for the scenario.
  • Energy used works out to 48 kWh at these inputs.
  • Cost per piece works out to 0.01 $ / piece at these inputs.
  • Hourly cost works out to 0.72 $ / hr at these inputs.

How this compares with the baseline

  • Against the tool's baseline example, where compressor power for coating sits at 12 kW and the headline result is 11.52 $ / shift, this scenario comes in 50% below the baseline at 5.76 $ / shift.
  • The practical read: the gap between this scenario and the baseline is entirely attributable to compressor power for coating, so recovering it is worth quantifying in dollars before considering equipment or staffing changes. It uses connected kW as a proxy for actual draw; a compressor that cycles or is oversized will pull less than nameplate, so treat the result as an upper bound unless you meter it.

Results at a glance

  • Energy cost: 5.76 $ / shift (headline result)
  • Energy used: 48 kWh
  • Cost per piece: 0.01 $ / piece
  • Hourly cost: 0.72 $ / hr

Run it with your numbers

  • To rerun this with your own numbers, open the live Compressed Air Cost for Coating calculator, set compressor power for coating to your actual value, and adjust the remaining inputs to match your operation.

Last reviewed 2026-05-12.