What Does Steam Cost?

The only way to do it is to look at the installation's records over the last few years, and extrapolate. Often, the data will reveal opportunities for reducing operating cost as a resuolt of better design.

Thank you PWSlack. Yes we have the data as you say but are looking for an average to compare ourselves with. Are we good or bad and how do we compare.... that type of scenario. Thanks again for your response.

operating cost is a contribution of:

• equipment depreciation (included or not, depends on your accounting method);
• cost of consumables going into operating the equipment since it started operating;
• Direct Labor cost (operator's hourly / daily / monthly rate);
• Overhead Labor cost (Supervisor's H/D/M rate);
• Direct material cost (natural gas and wood waste);
• Overhead material cost (materials charged into maintenance and repairs of the boiler, external charges, if any - such as fees charged by external technicians, or the vendor).

Total the figures above, then summarize the volume of steam produced over the same period. The quotient is your actual maintenance cost per ton of steam.

if it is purely the maintenance cost you are interested in, net of operating cost, you are left with the maintenance and repairs cost, divided by steam volume.

AFAIK, there is no universal standard. utility companies do not normally divulge their operating or maintenance figures. you'll have to compute your own.