Where Is Your Compressed Air Energy Going?
Compressed air is essential to many manufacturing and engineering operations, powering everything from production machinery and automation to tools and processes. But while it is an essential utility, it can also be a significant and often overlooked source of energy consumption.
For many businesses, compressed air can account for a substantial proportion of total electricity use. The challenge is that energy waste within a compressed air system is not always obvious. Leaks, pressure losses, inefficient compressor operation and heat generated during compression can all represent opportunities to reduce costs and improve efficiency.
So, where is your compressed air energy going?
The Opportunity for Savings
Compressed air is widely recognised as one of the biggest energy-saving opportunities within industrial facilities.
Even relatively small improvements can produce significant reductions in operating costs.
Typical opportunities include:
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Lower electricity consumption
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Reduced carbon emissions
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Improved system reliability
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Increased production efficiency
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Reduced maintenance costs
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Freeing up existing compressor capacity
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Delaying or avoiding capital expenditure on additional equipment
Long-term optimisation projects regularly achieve energy savings of 20-30% or more, depending on the condition and operation of the existing system.
What Is Causing Energy Waste?
Energy can be lost at various points throughout a compressed air system.
Leaks are one of the most common sources of waste. Even relatively small leaks can run continuously, causing compressors to generate air that never reaches a useful application.
Incorrect system pressure can also increase energy consumption. If a system is operating at a higher pressure than necessary, compressors may be working harder than they need to.
Poor compressor control can result in compressors running unloaded or inefficiently, while oversized or poorly sequenced equipment can increase electricity consumption.
Pressure drops caused by undersized pipework, blocked filters or inefficient distribution systems can also force compressors to work harder to maintain the required pressure.
And there is another often-overlooked opportunity: the heat produced during compression.
More than 90% of the electrical energy used during compression is converted into heat. Without an energy recovery system, much of this heat can simply be discharged into the surrounding environment.
Compressed Air Energy Surveys: Understanding Your System
Before making changes to a compressed air system, it is important to understand how it is actually performing.
Air Kraft's Compressed Air Energy Surveys use iiTrack data logging equipment to monitor compressor power consumption and system demand over a typical operating period. This creates a detailed picture of how the system is being used and where energy may be being wasted.
An energy survey can help businesses:
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Understand their true compressed air demand
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Identify inefficient compressor operation
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Detect unnecessary energy consumption
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Assess different control strategies
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Model potential energy-saving improvements
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Make informed decisions based on actual system data
Rather than relying on assumptions, data logging provides a clearer understanding of how your compressed air system behaves throughout the working day.
This can be particularly valuable when considering whether additional compressor capacity is genuinely required. In some cases, improving the efficiency of an existing system may free up capacity and reduce or delay the need for further capital investment.
Don't Forget the Energy You Could Recover
Energy efficiency is not only about reducing the amount of electricity your compressors consume. It can also be about making better use of the energy they already produce.
During the compression process, a significant amount of electrical energy is converted into heat. Energy recovery systems can capture some of this otherwise wasted heat and put it to practical use elsewhere on site.
Depending on the application, recovered heat can be used for:
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Heating workshops and production areas
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Radiator systems
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Hot water generation
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Process heating
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Pre-heating applications
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Washrooms and welfare facilities
This means your compressor can potentially do more than just produce compressed air — it can also contribute to your site's heating and hot water requirements.
The amount of recoverable energy will depend on factors such as compressor size, operating hours and the requirements of the site. Air Kraft can assess whether energy recovery could be a practical solution for your operation.
Where Should You Start?
Every compressed air system is different, so there is no single solution to improving efficiency.
For some businesses, the biggest opportunity may be identifying and repairing leaks. For others, it could be optimising compressor controls, reducing system pressure, improving distribution or recovering waste heat.
Air Kraft can help businesses understand where their compressed air energy is being used and where opportunities for improvement exist — from an initial Free AirCheck through to detailed energy surveys, leak detection and energy recovery solutions.
If you are considering investing in additional compressor capacity, looking to reduce electricity costs or simply want to understand how efficiently your existing system is operating, an energy assessment can provide the information you need to make an informed decision.