Planning guide

How to Include Electricity and Printer Wear

How should machine time affect a job budget?

Work through the process

1. Use average measured power rather than the power supply rating.
2. Multiply kilowatts by operating hours and your energy rate.
3. Choose an explicit equipment cost per hour.

Formula and worked illustration

120 W for 8 hours uses 0.96 kWh. At 0.25 per kWh, electricity costs 0.24. An equipment allowance of 0.50 per hour adds 4.00.

Inputs and limits

Warm-up, enclosure heating and standby vary. A chosen depreciation allowance is a budgeting assumption, not a measured electricity charge.

Use the 3D Print Cost Calculator to change the assumptions and compare your own inputs. Examples here are illustrative calculations, not results from a physical print test.