Power= energy over a period of time or the rate of doing work. BTUs/hr(gas) and Watts(electric)

BTU= British thermal unit: the standard energy unit used in the U.S. It represents how much thermal energy is needed to raise 1 pound of pure water one degree Fahrenheit.

BTUs/hr =the number of BTUs generated in 1 hr. Burners are rated in maximum BTUs/hr. Think of it as heating capability.

CF=cubic feet, used in rating the energy capacity of fuel, it is a measure of volume.

cfm (cubic feet/minute) cfh (cubic feet/hr)= the flow rate of gas and/or air used to determine proper pipe size, blower capacity and BTU/hr output. Sometimes scfm or standard cubic feet/minute.

Therm= 100,000 BTUs (any type of fuel) often the basis for your gas bill. It is useful to know your expected usage in BTUs and your rate in $/therm to guestimate your bill.

PSI = unit of measure for pressure, Pounds per Square Inch

WCI = Water column inches, unit of measure for pressure 28 wci = 1 psi

Volts(V)= a measure of pressure under which electricity flows. 120v(household plug) 240v(dryer plug) 480v (commercial)

Amperage(I)= often called current, it is the rate of flow of electricity through a wire. Components are sized based on amps. the higher the amperage draw of a device the bigger and more expensive the wire, relays, breakers, etc.

Watt(W)= electrical power or the rate at which energy is converted to heat. watts=volts x amps and watts= amps² x ohms

Kilowatt (kW)= 1000 watts

Kilowatt-hour (kWh) the work done by one kilowatt for one hour. A 100 watt light on for 10 hr uses one kWh. The electric company bills you per kWh so it is useful to know your rate/kWh and your expected usage.

Ohms(R)= a measure of resistance to the flow of electricity.

Ohms law = Voltage equals current x resistance, V=IR my personal favorite.

1 kWh= 3,413 BTUs (example, if you pay $0.15/kWh it equals $4.40/therm for the same gas power)

1 therm= 29.3 kWh (example, if your gas bill is $1.89/therm the equivalent electric rate would be $0.065/kWh)

The most common types of gas power are natural gas and propane. Natural gas contains on average 1030 BTUs/cf and propane 2500 BTUs/cf (21,500 BUTs/ lb). Natural gas is less expensive but may not be available in rural locations. Understand that burners and other components must be sized to both the BTU/hr capacity and the fuel type. Most people choose natural gas if it is available.

Pressure is another consideration. Most burners function on a minimum of 9wci with 14wci (1/2psi) as a standard low. I prefer 1psi if available and use regulators to achieve ideal pressure settings for each device. Every city governs its own regulations so check to see what local codes say. Some cities will only provide 5wci and others 5psi it really depends on many factors and is their judgement. CHECK this out before signing a long term lease. If you can't get enough gas it will be quite frustrating.

Volume is a function of BTUs/hr required by your shop and is influenced by the pressure of the service. Gas codes dictate the size pipe needed to deliver a specific volume of gas at a particular pressure. Typically you will be asked for your "load" which can simply be BTUs/hr(OK) or with a little more figuring CF/hr at a particular pressure(better).

If there is even a remote possibility that you might expand your shop in the future than you should dream a bit and figure the maximum LOAD that would ever be needed. It isn't that expensive to get a slightly larger supply than you need because... if you need to add a service in the future it will cost you. Along the same line, have your plumber put in extra "drops" with shutoffs for future devices or to allow for moving equipment to a new location. Hind sight is always 20/20 it's best to have options that allow you to add and/or move.

All devices over 50,000 BTUs/hr need flame safety systems to be NFPA 86 compliant. Pipewarmers and garages are OK but furnaces and glory holes must have safety systems not only for building codes but to satisfy insurance companies. This is particularly important if you rent time out, teach classes or have any one other than yourself in the shop. This goes for proper ventilation as well.

A few people are getting into using landfill gas (methane) with great success. http://www.epa.gov/landfill/index.htm The most important thing about landfill gas is to clean it to prevent destroying your equipment. Partnering with an electric generation company can be quite advantageous. For simplicity you can consider clean landfill gas essentially the same as natural gas.

The most common use of significant electricity comes from kilns, annealers and pick-up boxes. These are the ones that generate the most questions and benefit from a brief explanation. First decide generally on what you need based on your process (kilnforming, annealing only, etc) Second try to get an idea of the interior volume you need (length x width x height). One drawback of electric kilns is the poor convection inside of them. It is best to leave 3"-4"minimum air space between the wall of an oven and the work, don't make to oven too small. Now to power the oven....

Voltage: generally the higher the better...to within reason. You typically have a choice of 240v, 208v and 480v, I would not consider 120v except for lights and controllers. If you have 240 available if is fine, 480v is great but unless you are in an industrial building it is generally not available and the cost of adding 480v can't be justified. The higher the voltage the lower the amperage draw of the kiln. This saves you in wiring the studio, installing relays, buying circuit breakers, etc. All of these components can handle any voltage up to 600v but are sized and priced on amperage ratings. The higher the amperage the more expensive the component, especially wire. Higher voltage will not lower your electric bill. You pay based on watts and this is not effected by voltage. High insulation and low thermal load reduce wattage demands and lower your bill (see 100% fiber kilns).

Phase: Single phase is more common but 3 phase is often quite available and can be inexpensive to get. Single phase uses two "hot" lines to provide voltage. When you connect these 2 lines to an element you complete a circuit and get heat out of the element. With 3 phase there are 3 "hot" lines providing power. This extra line reduces the amperage draw of the kiln by 1/3 and this saves you money on your bill.

If you can get 3 phase and higher voltage both can save you money. Single phase 240v runs about 10% higher than 3 phase 208v. A 7200 watt kiln takes 30 amps of single phase 240v to run. The same kiln using 480v 3 phase power uses 10 amps. You must factor in the cost of installation for a true bottom line. If you are putting in a large shop with lower voltage you may use up several circuit breaker panels or need custom panels to run your shop. Higher voltage would keep the total amperage lower and reduce the size if the panels needed.

This is general information provided for a basic understanding of some of the dynamics in powering a glass studio. Always consult a licenced professional and comply with codes.