June 12, 2026
Estimated reading time: 5 minutes
Improving compressed air energy audit results
Regardless of whether you commission a full audit or a simpler assessment, the actions below apply to any compressed air system. Start with demand reduction before considering supply increases: fixing leaks and correcting pressure setpoints improves efficiency at every load point, typically without capital spend. If optimisation alone is not enough, your audit findings may point toward an air compressor replacement as the most cost-effective next step.
Audit checklist
Identify critical energy-saving opportunities, streamline your compressed air system, and maximize operational efficiency, by following the checklist below.
The importance of an energy audit
Even after working through all seven steps, a professional audit is likely still worth commissioning. Trained experts identify inefficiencies that are difficult to detect without specialist equipment, and any business with a complex compressed air network should consider one. Atlas Copco's AIRScan service uses calibrated instrumentation to produce a full system profile, including specific energy (kWh/m³), demand curves, leak estimates, and a ranked action plan with savings per item.
Consider commissioning a professional audit when you operate multiple compressors in a networked configuration, when pressure complaints have increased without a clear cause, when planning a capacity change, or when you need documented energy data for ISO 50001 or sustainability reporting.
Is it time to replace your compressor?
If your audit shows that your current compressor is running inefficiently even after optimisation, our compressed air specialists can review your audit findings and recommend whether a repair, upgrade, or replacement makes the most sense for your system and budget.
Frequently asked questions
An energy assessment is a quicker, more superficial exercise, typically involving an expert walking the line to identify obvious inefficiencies visually. A full air compressor system audit is more thorough and expensive, takes several days or weeks, and uses specialist measurement equipment to produce logged data on flow, pressure, and power. Simple systems may only need an assessment; complex or multi-compressor networks usually benefit from a full audit.
Research shows that up to one-third of generated compressed air is lost through leaks in a typical system. Even a single small leak can cost hundreds of pounds per year when you factor in the energy required to compress that air. Locate leaks with an ultrasonic detector and quantify total system leakage using an off-load flow test before prioritising repairs.
Increasing header pressure to compensate for capacity issues is both expensive and counterproductive. Higher pressure causes existing leaks to lose more air, compounding the original inefficiency. The correct approach is to identify and address the root cause, whether that is a genuine capacity shortfall, distribution restrictions, or demand that has grown beyond the original system design.
A professional audit adds the most value when you operate multiple compressors in a networked configuration, when unexplained pressure complaints or rising energy costs have appeared, when planning a capacity change or compressor replacement, or when you need documented energy evidence for ISO 50001 or sustainability reporting. For simpler single-compressor systems, an internal checklist combined with periodic assessments may be sufficient.
Without a structured maintenance programme, audit gains typically erode within 12 to 18 months as filters foul, condensate drains fail, and small leaks reappear. Regularly cleaning and maintaining filters, separators, and dryers is essential to sustaining efficiency. Monthly pressure-drop checks across key filters and an annual KPI review (kWh/m³, leak rate, pressure band) keep the system connected to measurable outcomes rather than just time-based tasks.
