Does UV LED really use less energy than mercury?

Usually yes, for three reasons. A larger share of input leaves as usable UV in the emitted band, the array draws nothing between parts, and it can be driven below full power. Your duty cycle decides how much less.

What counts as wall-plug power?

Everything the supply sees: emitters, driver electronics and cooling. Air-cooled arrays hide cooling in the same figure; water-cooled ones do not, and a chiller left out can be a substantial fraction.

Why can't I compare kilowatts with mercury?

The technologies convert very different fractions of input into usable UV, in different bands. What matters is dose in the band your photoinitiator absorbs, at your line speed. Compare cost per part at equal cure.

Is the annual figure a measurement?

No. It is the shift cost times 250, a stated convention for a single-shift year. Double it for two shifts or replace it with your own hours; it exists so the payback page has an input.

UV Curing calculator

UV LED Energy Cost Calculator

Price the electricity a UV LED array uses on a basis that can be compared. Enter wall-plug power, runtime, rate and parts per shift; cost per part is the headline.

What this calculator does

Turn LED array wall-plug power and runtime into energy cost per part, shift and year.

Formula used

Energy per shift = wall-plug power × runtime hours
Shift energy cost = energy per shift × electricity rate
Cost per part = shift energy cost ÷ parts per shift
Hourly energy cost = wall-plug power × electricity rate
Annual cost = shift cost × 250 shifts (substitute your year)

Inputs explained

Array Wall-Plug Power: Supply draw at the drive level used, including chiller.
Runtime per Shift: Hours the array is actually emitting per shift.
Blended Electricity Rate: All-in rate from an invoice, including demand charges.
Parts Cured per Shift: Good parts through the same shift.

How to use the result

Best suited to establishing the energy line for an LED install, producing the annual figure a payback needs, quantifying what part-gating saves.
Cannot verify the array delivers the dose the material needs. Ignores array degradation, which raises drive current over life. Mercury comparisons need equal dose, band and throughput, which this page cannot check.

Current U.S. benchmarks

As of Jul 2026, industrial electricity averages 9.8 cents per kWh across the U.S. (EIA), up 4.7% from a year earlier. State averages range widely, so plants should confirm against their own tariff.

Common questions

Does UV LED really use less energy than mercury? Usually yes, for three reasons. A larger share of input leaves as usable UV in the emitted band, the array draws nothing between parts, and it can be driven below full power. Your duty cycle decides how much less.
What counts as wall-plug power? Everything the supply sees: emitters, driver electronics and cooling. Air-cooled arrays hide cooling in the same figure; water-cooled ones do not, and a chiller left out can be a substantial fraction.
Why can't I compare kilowatts with mercury? The technologies convert very different fractions of input into usable UV, in different bands. What matters is dose in the band your photoinitiator absorbs, at your line speed. Compare cost per part at equal cure.
Is the annual figure a measurement? No. It is the shift cost times 250, a stated convention for a single-shift year. Double it for two shifts or replace it with your own hours; it exists so the payback page has an input.

Last reviewed 2026-10-01.