Lets talk gas dryers..

[GraphicDisorder]

Just looked at mine. .34 per therm.  So my gas bill is $159.34 of $335. Rest are fees. Like $37.80 for "monthly customer charge", "distribution service $118.99", etc.

The previous month was $287.55.

[ebscreen]

At .34 a therm $159.34 = 468 therms.

We're at 380 therms for two dryers.

[blue moon]

here's the bill, that's $82 TOTAL this month! It is the only gas operated piece in the shop during the summer time.

pierre

[Steve Harpold]

I have spent a lot of time researching this for different reasons, below is a quick break down:
Gas bills generally have to charges
Charge #1 cost per therm (deca therm or mmbtu)
This charge represents the amount of gas you used multiplied by the charge,

Charge #2 distribution charge
This represents the cost of getting the gas to you for use.
The amount of gas you used is multiplied by this factor.

The two charges above is what you pay per therm. The other charges you pay no matter what you do.

How it relates to the USA
Midwest, Tn, KY (gas is basically free, charges as low .52 cents per therm including distribution)
North East,Califronia, Tx (still relatively inexpensive say .75-.84 including distribution)
South East, SC, NC (most expensive in the country) .85 - 1.20
Hawii - (ouch) 2.45 - 5.00 per therm
International - 1.25-3.00 depending on the country

How it relates to your dryer, let's say a 290,000 Btu burner uses roughly 1.45 therms pr/hr. 
(1 therm = 100,000 Btu).

How to get the total cost of your dryer
Gas cost + electric cost (4-10 kW for a single burner) = total hourly cost


Historical side note: Natural gas is the cheapest it has been in history, in 2010-11 you were paying as much as 5* what you are paying today. There are also random issues in some major cities (Miami, Atalanta, San Francisco come to mind that don't fit general models) companies are currently burning natural gas off fields because is is to inexpensive to
Process.

Location side note:
Those of you in the Midwest can waste gas and electricity and obscene rates as energy is very inexpensive!
Watch California as they push for carbon free alternatives (2026) I will believe this when I see it!

[GraphicDisorder]

We've always had a higher bill here though than I thought we should have even pre dryer, so I am not sure whats up with that.

For example just pulled up a bill from Jan of 2011, there wasn't even a Gas dryer in this building as we didn't get our auto/dryer until Feb 2011. The bill for Jan was $402.46

The next month, (auto and gas dryer installed that month about mid month), was $298.18.  The following month was $226.40. Then you go and look at August of 2012 for kicks and it was $74.42.  8/13 was $119.32.  Jump to 5/14 196.25. It was all over the place.

[Steve Harpold]

Side note as it relates to energy, attached is a real time graph from the Fire Fly. The machine was analyzed for 371 hours, primarily running waterbase prints at full capacity. In order to make capacity comparisons and relationships to energy compare with a gas dryer that can run 700 pcs pr/hr water base @ a 2:30 retention time. (Typically two burner dryers, 16' - 22' chambers)

[TCT]

Side note as it relates to energy, attached is a real time graph from the Fire Fly. The machine was analyzed for 371 hours, primarily running waterbase prints at full capacity. In order to make capacity comparisons and relationships to energy compare with a gas dryer that can run 700 pcs pr/hr water base @ a 2:30 retention time. (Typically two burner dryers, 16' - 22' chambers)

But those things take damn near a 200A service alone. It's a interesting idea, but for me it falls off there.

I can't imagine what one of those would do to our electric bill(aside from needing to upgrade the service again) with peak pricing, our electric bill is ridiculous.

[BorisB]

Side note as it relates to energy, attached is a real time graph from the Fire Fly. The machine was analyzed for 371 hours, primarily running waterbase prints at full capacity. In order to make capacity comparisons and relationships to energy compare with a gas dryer that can run 700 pcs pr/hr water base @ a 2:30 retention time. (Typically two burner dryers, 16' - 22' chambers)

But those things take damn near a 200A service alone. It's a interesting idea, but for me it falls off there.

I can't imagine what one of those would do to our electric bill(aside from needing to upgrade the service again) with peak pricing, our electric bill is ridiculous.

Over here in Europe we pay about $400/month for 90kW. That's before kWh meter is started.

[Steve Harpold]

Boris,

I believe you are talking about a demand charge. $400 dollars for 90 KW is suprisingly
Inexpensive.

US prices, are as high a 14.75 pr/kW to as low as 3.75 pr/kW. Your example
Is 4.44 pr/kW. 

Demand charges are calculated on a 15 minute rolling average. The graph posted has a 15 minute rolling average of about 18 KW. A two burner gas dryer has a rolling average of around (9-18 KW) for electric.

I.e. Consider an air compressor kicks on for a short period of time, the instant KW is 40 however over the 15 minute rolling average your demand load is only 8 KW for that air compressor. I wouldn't
 want to see a bill of everything was billed at the rated KW.