Gas vs Electric: Which one would you choose as your prime mover?
Gas vs Electric Comparison
Determine Your Return On
Investment for Gas vs Electric
With oil prices at an all-time low and electric rates that continue to increase year after year, now is the time to re-evaluate your old way of thinking.
The current oil economy suggests a change is in the air. Oil wells are pumping continuously and electric rates continue to skyrocket. Both small and large oil companies are looking for long-term economics over short-term savings. That’s where Arrow Single Cylinder Natural Gas engines come in to save the day. Arrow engines have developed into very dependable and economical prime movers of choice.
With the glut of natural gas in the market, natural gas prices have dropped to an all-time low. This low cost makes natural gas the cheap economical fuel of choice. As an example, the average fuel consumption of an Arrow C-101 engine is 9,500 Btu/hp/hr based on 1,000 cu ft/day (LHV).
For example, an Arrow model C-101 engine produces 24.5 HP. Therefore, 9,500 x 24.5 x 24 = 5,586.000 Cubic Ft/day or 5.586 Mcf/day. Using a price of $2.00 per/Mcf the average monthly fuel cost to operate a C-101 engine at maximum horse power and RPM is $386.90.
A 30 HP electric motor will consume 58.43 kWh/day. At $0.10 /kWh the operating cost per month adds up to $1,777.39.
As an added bonus, if the gas is not saleable, the value of the gas can be removed, reducing the monthly fuel cost to zero.
As you can see from the chart, using an Arrow C-101 Single Cylinder engine instead of an electric motor will save you $55,198.48 over five years or a savings of $15,985.90 per year and will break-even in 1.3 years.
Note: Fuel consumption is based on full-rated horsepower at operating RPM used.
All Arrow Single Cylinder engines rated at 25 HP or less meet U.S. EPA exhaust regulations for the 2017 model year using pipeline quality (NG) natural gas. Refer to the Operation and Maintenance Manual for emissions and fuel set-up instructions.
CLICK HERE to see how we calculated this comparison. Follow the easy step-by-step questions and compare for yourself. You may be surprised how economical an Arrow Single Cylinder Natural Gas powered engine can be as your prime power choice.
