Labor costs for operating glass-melting furnaces, both fuel-fired and electric, are a small (less than three percent) component of the total costs per ton of glass produced. The most important differences between fuel-fired and electric melters are the additional labor costs incurred by fuel-fired melters for operation of pollution control equipment not required by electric melters.
Fuel-fired furnaces tend to be more complex than comparable electric furnaces, with more components such as burners, blowers and fans, regenerators and pollution control equipment that require maintenance. Electric furnaces however, require rebuilds every two to three years while fuel-fired furnaces typically last about six to eight years. Although rebuilds of electric furnaces are more frequent, they typically require less time and are less costly due to simpler construction. Since there are tradeoffs, the relative operating costs of fuel-fired furnaces and electric furnaces must be made on a case by case basis.
