UV Curing worked example

UV LED Energy Cost with array wall-plug power of 11 kW: a worked example

What does the result look like when array wall-plug power reaches 11 kW? The full calculation is worked below with real intermediate numbers. Use it when costing a UV LED retrofit, building a job quote with energy as a line item, or reporting energy cost per part to operations.

The inputs for this scenario

  • Array wall-plug power: 11 kW (raised for this scenario; the documented default is 4.5)
  • Runtime per shift: 7.5 hr (unchanged)
  • Blended electricity rate: 0.14 $ / kWh (unchanged)
  • Parts cured per shift: 2,400 parts (unchanged)

Working through the calculation

  • Applying the documented formula (Energy used (kWh) = wall-plug power × runtime) to the inputs above produces each figure below.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 11.55 $ / shift for shift energy cost, the number this scenario is built around.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 82.5 kWh for energy used per shift.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 0 $ / part for energy cost per part.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 1.54 $ / hr for hourly energy cost.

How this compares with the baseline

  • Against the tool's baseline example, where array wall-plug power sits at 4.5 kW and the headline result is 4.73 $ / shift, this scenario comes in 144% above the baseline at 11.55 $ / shift.
  • A figure at this level is achievable when array wall-plug power is genuinely sustained, not just peaked for a shift. It counts only the array's wall-plug draw — chillers, blowers, conveyors, and controls add real load that this figure excludes, so true line energy is higher.

Results at a glance

  • Shift energy cost: 11.55 $ / shift (headline result)
  • Energy used per shift: 82.5 kWh
  • Energy cost per part: 0 $ / part
  • Hourly energy cost: 1.54 $ / hr

Run it with your numbers

  • Every input above is editable in the live UV LED Energy Cost calculator, which recalculates instantly and can be shared with the inputs intact.

Last reviewed 2026-05-12.