A Practical Guide to Compressed Air and Sustainable Practices

In industrial settings, compressed air systems are among the largest consumers of electricity. Roughly 80% of a compressor's total cost of ownership is made up of energy costs. For businesses concerned about operating expenses, improving the energy efficiency of air compressors offers a real opportunity for savings.

So, exactly how much energy can be saved? This may be an important question for smaller companies, as the initial higher purchase price of an energy-efficient compressor may be of concern. Older compressors often operate inefficiently, consuming more energy than necessary and increasing the risk of downtime or performance issues.

Enjoy stability with energy-efficient air compressors, as they guarantee a lower production cost of compressed air and are protected from fluctuating energy prices. With an energy efficient compressor, you can also enjoy greater reliability, longer maintenance intervals and compliance will all current and upcoming emission standards.

While energy-efficient compressors typically carry a higher purchase price, they usually come with lower long-term operating costs. This provides payback in the long run, as over the lifetime of a compressor, energy usage contributes the most to its total cost of ownership (TCO), often far more than the initial purchase cost.

When evaluating compressors, it’s important to consider: 

• Lifetime energy consumption
• Maintenance requirements and intervals
• Expected service life and reliability 

The total cost of ownership consists of the costs of buying, owning and operating during the compressor’s lifetime. Buying high-efficiency equipment can be a sound financial decision – not because it’s labelled “green,” but because it performs better overtime, particularly in energy-intensive operations.  

Air compressors generate heat as a byproduct. In many facilities, this heat is simply vented away, wasting valuable energy, to keep ambient temperatures down. There is a better way to achieve this - heat recovery.

Purchasing a compressor with integrated energy recovery or installing a heat recovery system between the compressor and cooling and heating circuits will recover and repurpose 70-94% of the energy required to run a compressor. This recuperated heat can be used, for example to preheat water or support process-heating applications.

The need for purchasing energy is reduced thanks to the recovery of heat. This reduction results in lower CO2 emissions and operating costs. For companies aiming to reduce carbon footprints and improve manufacturing profitability, the energy cost savings can be substantial. 

Choosing the right compressor for your production is important. There are some things to consider when buying your air compressor:

• How much airflow and pressure are required?
• Which applications is the air compressor for?
• Will the air compressor run constantly?
• How important is air quality?
• Does the air demand fluctuate or remain steady?

A compressed air energy audit like AIRScan can help measure the efficiency of your existing compressed air installation. This is the best way to then discover possible energy savings from a compressed air system. The data from the analysis will help to improve the energy efficiency of your compressed air system. You will also find some answers to many of the questions to find the most suitable air compressor for your production.

A fixed-speed compressor can be a great solution when the application requires a constant speed at all times. Once the fixed speed compressor is turned on, it gives full power. However, most industrial applications have a fluctuating air demand. A variable-speed drive (VSD) compressor can then be a better choice, as the output is matched to user demand. In the long run, a VSD compressor will lead to considerable energy savings. With a VSD or VSD+ compressors, you will enjoy reliable top-quality air and lower energy consumption by an average of 50%.

Deciding to adopt a verified energy-efficient air compressor is one of the most important and beneficial choices you will make. The Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) is another major considering when deciding which air compressor is suitable for your production. 

Optimizing an already existing compressed air network offers companies more options when it comes to reducing their carbon footprint and the cost of compressed air. Attention and care to your compressed air system are a requirement. Neglecting the maintenance of your compressed air system can lead to downtime, which can prove to be quite costly.

For this reason a compressed air system should be regularly maintained, continually monitored and carefully controlled. While scheduled maintenance plans with the supplier should be mandatory, it is also important to be vigilant on the day-to-day operation by the compressor user. The working air pressure is a simple example. Higher air pressure means an increase in energy use, resulting in higher production costs. An increase of just one extra bar of pressure will result in an average of 7% more power required. This will quickly add up to a substantial increase.

As the compressor owner, you should be aware of how much pressure is actually required and where the system may lose pressure. The compressed air network should be designed in a way that the loss of pressure between the compressor and the furthest piece of equipment that consumes the air should be no greater than 0.1 bar.

Installing a state-of-the-air master control system is the best way to manage a compressed air system, as it monitors the efficiency, availability and reliability of the compressor unit. The control system detects any problems and can automatically reduce the working pressure and energy costs when the air demand is low. You can also pair your controller with smart connectivity technology to monitor and optimize a compressed air system from a remote location.

An increase of companies are moving towards sustainability, as it is not only the right thing to do but also makes financial sense. This does, however, raise the question of whether switching to ecological equipment and production processes can ensure quality.

If your production requires a critical need to meet extremely high standards in their process air requirements, sustainable technology should only be employed if it guarantees that final products are not compromised. It is often argued that certain applications must maintain stringent quality standards, making it more important to use the most efficient and compliant equipment. That is why the compressed air industry's offerings must meet strict compliance with quality standards such as ISO 8573-1 and ISO 22000.

In order to protect sensitive processes, premium air treatment equipment will produce high air quality that is free of contaminants. Supplier companies which are ISO 22000-certified have demonstrated a commitment to provide food production systems which are clean and safe.

Tighter government emission standards. Governments try to meet emission targets through incentives and also more stringent emission standards and other environmental regulations. The only way to ensure that compressor equipment complies with new environmental rules for some time to come is by investing in cutting-edge and sustainable practices. Older air compressors may soon no longer qualify under existing rules.

Scientists, through study, have told us that the planet is warming at a rate that will radically change how we live on it. In fact a number of natural disasters are already gaining strength. Even more reason for compressor manufacturers to innovate solutions that help customers significantly reduce their carbon footprint and for production companies to embrace the material benefits of such advanced technology to fight against climate change.