how do i calculate electric motor start up costs - Mike Holt's Forum

You only pay for the actual energy used. when it is not running it is not using any energy. the amount of extra energy it takes to get it up to speed is very small.

however, if you start and stop a large motor like this, it can have negative impacts on its lifespan. Four times a day is probably not a big deal. Four times an hour probably is.

you are looking at starting and stopping it every two hours while it is in use. probably not a huge problem for the motor.

it takes the same amount of energy to get a motor started using a soft start, vfd, or across the line starting. the vfd or soft start just reduces the peak amount of current required. it also reduces the mechanical stresses on the equipment if a vfd or soft start is used.

most bag filter systems i have worked with use compressed air blasts to shake the bag while the blower is still running. You are not alone, even though you are mistaken. The concept of "A soft starter will save me a lot of money on startup costs" is a very common myth, often propagated by salesmen who are unable to articulate the REAL benefits of soft starters (as so eloquently laid out by Bob above). What's behind that myth is the misunderstood idea of savings on "Peak Demand Charges". People see a charge on their utility bill that reads something to that effect, so they think that if they lower the peak with a soft starter, the demand charge will go down. It just is not that simple. Peak demand charges are calculated based on what's called a "sliding window" of time, usually 15, 20 or 30 minutes. Any individual peak within that window is virtually ignored, other than the overall minuscule effect it has on the power consumption integrated over that time frame. So adding a soft starter has no tangible effect on changing the Demand Charge multiplier from your utility. If you call and ask them, they will explain it to you. Many people have been shocked to discover this after having spent the money on soft starters thinking that was the cure for their Peak Demand Charge ills.

What it DOES do is satisfy a SEPARATE requirement from the utility to limit your motor starting power, usually expressed as kVA/HP. The numbers vary from utility to utility so there is no universal number that will be the same across the country. But in GENERAL, it's usually somewhere around 50HP @ 480V (25HP @ 240V) and up requires SOME FORM of reduced voltage starting. A soft starter is one of the better ways to satisfy that, which adds the benefits Bob explained above. Those benefits all add up to money, but there is no advantage to leaving a motor running if it is not doing any useful work. No matter how you cut it, that is ZERO efficiency. When people have implemented soft starters on large machines and realized tangible energy savings, in my experiences they have always been the result of a behavior change that was barely noticed. Because of the myth of it costing too much to restart a machine, people would leave them running, just as you have. Then when they get the soft starter, they feel it is OK to shut them off when not used and restart them when needed. THAT saves the energy, but in reality it could also have saved the same amount without the soft starter had they turned it off. The soft starter just makes it "more OK" to do it without feeling like it's a problem. And in reality, they ARE preventing extra wear and tear on the machinery, so it a way, that is correct. It's just not really about the starting energy difference.

The price of an electric motor depends on many factors. Raw materials that make up a motor are essentially copper, aluminum, cast iron and steel, which also includes electrical sheet. Labor and energy costs are incurred in the country of manufacture, and transportation to Central Europe is usually by sea or rail. The various costs are incurred in different currencies, so exchange rates are also relevant for the final price.

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Raw materials market remains turbulent

Prices for industrial metals, measured in dollars per ton, are now below their peaks in spring , but compared to , the price is still very high. In U.S. currency, copper is about 20% more expensive, aluminum about 40%. For us in Europe, prices have risen more, but the euro has lost more than 15% of its purchasing power against the dollar over the same period.

The price of electric sheet metal is unpredictable. They are stamped from steel, which must meet certain electrical properties. Higher efficiency of the motor needs higher quality of steel, therefore there is no price for it on the stock exchange. There is only a price for pig iron, but it says nothing about steel. If production stops in steel mills, pig iron becomes cheaper and steel more expensive. There are repeated production stoppages in steel mills, especially in the important production countries of Ukraine and China. For example, on Aug. 17, , the Shanghai Metals Market platform reported the closure of nearly 20 steel mills in western China because energy is being rationed.

Labor and energy costs are gaining importance

Labor costs are a factor that could often be ignored in the past. Workers have earned more each year, but productivity has also increased, for example, through automation. But pandemic-related work stoppages, skills shortages and rising housing costs now exist around the world. Labor costs have risen particularly sharply in China and the Czech Republic; MOLL-MOTOR sources many engines from both countries.

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Energy costs also used to receive little attention. Now they are rising many times over and manufacturers are charging us energy surcharges for orders that have already been confirmed. Unfortunately, we had to accept corresponding changes in the general terms and conditions, so these subsequent price increases are legally covered. In contrast, MOLL-MOTOR has decided to do without such passages in the GTC. We want to keep this basic decision as long as we can still cope with the price risk. Because our priority is reliable business relations with our customers. Sticking to confirmed prices is an important building block for this.

Chaos in the ports

Energy costs are one of the reasons why transport costs have remained at an extremely high level for months. In two years, the price to ship a 20-foot container from China to Hamburg has more than quintupled. In addition, supply chains are completely out of rhythm, with disruptions spreading across the globe and reinforcing each other. Weeks after port closures in China, many ships arrive in the North Sea at the same time. Ports try to work through the congestion quickly, but after several instances, overworked port staff go on strike and new congestion ensues. Currently, the average ship waiting time in Hamburg is 10-20 days, in extreme cases up to 34 days. Therefore, ships unload the goods in other ports where onward transportation is not ensured. Demurrage and transshipment costs have to be paid and freight forwarders unanimously refuse to assume this cost risk. Since all additional costs are passed on 100% to the customer, the true freight price is not known until the goods have arrived.

Maximum reliability at MOLL-MOTOR

In this difficult environment, we strive daily to offer our customers delivery reliability and price stability. Special thanks are due to our logistics staff for their commitment, with which they have already saved many situations. Fortunately, our contacts at customers, freight forwarders and suppliers also usually understand our situation. Strengthened by this stable network, we reliably supply the economy with electric motors, drive and automation technology even in times of crisis.

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