calculating electrical costs

[jongaduet]

hey everyone,

I'm trying to get a better than ball park figure for how much electricity I use in my hall per show and how much it costs. Example... how much does it cost for me to have the PA on for an hour? How much does is cost to have a par can on for and hour? You get the idea...

I'm wondering if anyone has tried this before and how they went about doing it.
I'm not looking to figure in climate control or water.

Thanks alot.

[DaveySimps]

We did a similar analysis, but on every panel of our whole facility, as part of an energy audit. We hired a company that did the metering and data work for us. It was not cheap, but it offered us great data. We were able to use it in turn to apply for some grants, which we did receive that facilitated work on our HVAC system making it more energy efficient I also know of another venue that was able to employ the electrical company in their area to do such work for them. You may want to look into that.

~Dave

[derekleffew]

The only way for a "better than ballpark" is to meter your usage, with a "BMI-type" (no relation to BMI Supply) power analysis meter, such as Dranetz-BMI Products or similar. Or by reading the power company's meter(s).

Here in Las Vegas, electricity is about 11¢ per kWh. So running a 1000W PAR can AT FULL costs $0.11/hour. Due to the factors involved, it's next to impossible to predict what a rig of 120K would cost over time.

[sk8rsdad]

If you know how to read your power meter then you could take a reading before the event, and a reading after. That would give you your total power consumption.

Consult your electricity provider for their billing rates and do the math to figure the cost of a typical event. This neglects wear and tear on lamps, air filters, compressors, fan belts, etc.

For individual devices, you can get a Kill-a-watt meter. Our local utility has a lending program to help households and small businesses. Maybe your utility does too?