# How much electricity does stenter blower speed optimisation save?

Canonical: https://senseible.earth/answers/stenter-blower-speed-optimisation-kwh

About 72,000 kWh a year per stenter in BEE's Pali report, from running the four fans in the last two chambers slow: 4.2 kW down to 1.7 kW each. Many stenters already have VFDs used only as soft starters. Cost Rs 2.60 lakh, payback about 9.4 months at 2010 prices.

## The stenter in the report

- Five chambers, ten fans of 7.5 HP (5.6 kW), each drawing 4.2 kW at high speed.
- A stenter uses 40 to 55 kWh of power and 50 to 60 kg of pet coke an hour.
- Pali has over 100 stenters.

## Why the last two chambers

Drying is fastest at an air jet of about 32 feet a second (9.8 m a second); faster air adds nothing. The fourth and fifth chambers only hold the fabric at heat-setting temperature, so air speed matters little there. In one audited unit the fifth chamber's fan had been removed and the stenter still ran at the same speed.

## Check what you already own

1. Two-speed fan motors: switch chambers four and five to slow. No capital needed.
2. VFDs already fitted: the report found them used only to soften starting. Set a lower speed on the last two chambers.
3. Neither: five 12 kW VFDs, each running two fans, Rs 2.50 lakh plus Rs 0.10 lakh fitting and about a week's shutdown.
4. Run the same quality before and after and check heat-set results; the report gives no trial data.

## Money and CO2

4 fans x 2.5 kW = 10 kW, x 24 hours x 300 days = 72,000 kWh. At Rs 4.60 a kWh, Rs 3.31 lakh, against Rs 2.60 lakh: 0.79 years. On today's grid that is 48.6 t of CO2 a year, not the report's 64 t.

## One stenter, one year

- Saved per fan: 4.2 minus 1.7 = 2.5 kW
- 4 fans x 2.5 kW x 24 h x 300 days = 72,000 kWh
- 72,000 x Rs 4.60 = Rs 3.31 lakh
- CO2: 72,000 x 0.675 = 48.6 t

Grid at CEA's FY 2025-26 factor, an estimate.

## What Senseible does here

Senseible reads electricity bills into monthly kWh and CO2, each linked to its bill, so 6,000 kWh a month less shows against last year. If you need to buy drives, the green loan check shows what a lender will ask.

- [Green loan readiness check](https://senseible.earth/green-loan-check)
- [Stenter fuel and CO2 per metre](https://senseible.earth/answers/stenter-fuel-and-co2-per-metre-of-fabric)
- [Stenter waste heat recovery](https://senseible.earth/answers/stenter-waste-heat-recovery-petcoke-saving)
- [Thermopac pump VFD](https://senseible.earth/answers/thermopac-pump-vfd-electricity-saving)
- [Stenter fabric temperature control](https://senseible.earth/answers/stenter-fabric-temperature-control-saving)

Sources: [BEE, Detailed project report: blower speed optimisation in stenter, Pali textile cluster (2010, SAMEEEKSHA)](https://sameeeksha.org/pdf/dpr/PAL_TXT2.pdf), [CEA, CO2 Baseline Database for the Indian Power Sector, version 22.0 (FY 2025-26 grid factor)](https://cea.nic.in/cdm-co2-baseline-view?mappingId=234&lang=en)

Last reviewed 2026-11-01. Report figures are from a BEE SME programme project report; costs and paybacks are at the report year's prices. Check today's fuel and power prices and a current quote before you rely on the payback.