In this e-book you will learn 7 ways to reduce your air compression costs.
Preserving energy may never have been more important than it is now. On the one hand, there is the issue of cutting costs. Energy prices are extremely high in many parts of the world, and every bit you don’t consume means money saved.
On the other hand, a sustainable production dictates efficiency. Because preserving energy is the right thing to do for the environment. In addition, governments are increasingly mandating it and customers expect companies to “go green.”
When it comes to our private lives, we understand that there are some very simple things we can do to make sure our energy bills are manageable. For example, everybody knows not to keep the windows open for an extended period of time while heating in the winter. Otherwise, it’s just an expensive waste of energy.
Wouldn’t it be nice if there were also some sensible tips for businesses to significantly reduce their energy consumption… and therefore lower their operating costs?
Actually, there are.
Below, you will find seven recommendations on things you can do to curb your energy use when compressing air. Keep in mind that there is hardly any other industrial process where efficiency matters as much: About 10% of the world’s energy is used for compressing air.
Looking at your individual operation, energy takes up 80% of the lifetime cost of your compressor. That makes efficiency the number one priority to substantially reduce your operational costs and environmental footprint.
Some of these recommendations are very easy and quick to implement. Others require some investments that will quickly pay for themselves.
If you follow some of them, you will be guaranteed to lower your energy bill. Implement them all and you can make a significant difference to your bottom line and the environment.
You will note that none of these recommendations are about purchasing Atlas Copco compressors. That’s because we don’t want this ebook to be a promotional document – we want it to promote efficiency and sustainability, which is one of our core values.
However, using our compressors and other products, which are leading the industry in terms of efficiency, is another excellent way to reduce your energy consumption and save money.
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First, let’s take a look at all seven recommendations before examining them more closely one-by-one:
1. Reduce pressure2. Eliminate air leakages3. Optimize your ambient temperature4. Perform regular maintenance 5. Respect the service lives of your machines6. Recover heat7. Use green energyThese recommendations can broadly be divided into two categories: Those that require no or only a minimal investment and those for which you have to spend some money (that you will be able to recoup quickly with savings).
1. Reduce your air pressureThis recommendation is very straightforward. Whenever possible, you should reduce your air pressure. For example, if your compressed air system produces 10 bar of pressure but it only takes 7 bar to power your equipment, then you are wasting 3 bar.
That might not seem like a lot, but the results very quickly add up. For every bar that you lower the pressure of your compressed air system, your energy consumption will go down by about 7%.
Therefore, one of the most important things you can do is to frequently evaluate your system requirements. For example, if you replace an inefficient tool with a more efficient one, then you may need less pressure. This could save you money every single second.
Only using the required pressure has another benefit: It can extend the maintenance intervals for seals or diaphragms that will be subjected to less stress.
If you own multiple compressors, one way to achieve a reduction in pressure is by using a smart central controller. That way, you can ensure that each compressor delivers the correct pressure to multiple applications (if the applications require different pressure setpoints). This is a smart way of eliminating pressure reducers, which would otherwise waste the energy. In other words, a smart central controller can optimize the performance of all machines so that you only produce as much pressure as needed.
Another way to reduce your pressure setpoint is to review your air distribution system. Small diameter piping, excessive bends, couplings, filters and pressure reducers have a very big impact on the total pressure drop of a system. It is highly recommended to review the air distribution system and increase the diameter where necessary, remove pressure reducers and increase the size of installed filter packages. And don't forget to reduce your pressure setpoint to enable those savings afterwards.
2. Eliminate air leakages
This is extremely important because almost every compressed air system has leaks – and these can be very costly. Most compressed air users do not realize that up to 30% of their energy – and an average of 20% – is lost due to big and small leaks in their piping. Quite literally, this is your money vanishing into thin air.
Therefore, constantly monitoring your system for leaks and eliminating them as quickly as possible should be one of your top priorities.
There are many ways to do this. They range from highly sophisticated scanners to low-technology methods. For example, you can simply apply soapy water to areas in which you suspect leaks. If there is a leak, you will see the formation of bubbles.
Additionally, keep in mind to isolate unused tools to eliminate leaks inside this equipment.
While this ebook is not meant to promote Atlas Copco products, we are making an exception for our AIRchitect. And that’s because it is a free service that we are offering to any compressed air user – not just our customers.
Here is how it works: We will monitor your compressed air usage for 7-10 days. Using the collected data, our experts compile a comprehensive report tailored specifically to your operation. That means there are no generic suggestions, just recommendations on how you can save energy. It’s entirely up to you whether you will then implement them.
There really is no reason not to get an AIRchitect. It costs you nothing but is virtually guaranteed to save you money, for example by helping you find leaks.
3. Optimize your ambient temperature
The conditions in your compressor room – or the room in which your compressor is located – make a major difference to the performance of the equipment.
For example, you want to keep the air in the room free from dust and moisture to ensure that the compressed air is not contaminated and doesn’t have to be treated more than necessary with aftercoolers, dryers and filters (which also saves energy).
The ambient temperature plays a large role in keeping your energy bill low. For every reduction of 5°C, you can achieve energy savings of 1.5%.
That is why you should always make sure that you run your compressors in clean, cool, and well-ventilated environments. And, with a little bit of an investment, you can turn all the heat air compression generates into something useful (see our recommendation 6).
Another possibility is getting your intake air from the outside, especially in cooler environments.
4. Perform regular maintenance
At first glance, maintenance has a lot more to do with reliability than efficiency. However, in many cases, they go hand-in-hand.
Regular check-ups and energy audits not only extend the lifespan of your compressed air equipment but also help make it more efficient. This type of maintenance optimizes the performance of the entire system, which reduces the amount of energy it consumes.
One great example of this is that regularly replacing wear parts will reduce leaks, while periodic inspections will help detect them.
But don’t just wait to perform maintenance when it is scheduled. Many tools and technologies are now available that will allow you to carry out predictive and preventive maintenance to keep your compressors in the best possible working order.
From this point, you are moving toward the recommendations that will require various degrees of investments. However, it cannot be stressed enough that these costs can be recovered very quickly – especially at times when energy prices are high.
5. Respect the service lives of your machine
No matter how well you maintain your compressed air equipment, it is completely normal that its effectiveness and efficiency diminishes over time. That is one of the reasons why you should not hang on to your machines longer than you should.
On the one hand, they get more expensive to operate – both in terms of energy consumption and upkeep costs.
On the other hand, major advances are being made all the time in compressor technology. As one example, just look at the evolution of variable speed drive (VSD) technology.
Just a bit over 25 years ago, Atlas Copco introduced the first compressor whose motor speed would automatically adjust to the air demand. This resulted in extreme energy savings of 35% over conventional fixed-speed compressors.
Since then, however, this technology has been developed further. The latest version of these compressors – the GA VSDS series – can reduce your compressor’s energy consumption by up to 60%.
In other words, while many businesses may shy away from making new investments, especially at a time of economic uncertainty, the new and more efficient equipment will often pay for itself very quickly because your operating expenses decrease.
And, when it is time for you to make a change, don’t forget to do your part for the environment by returning, recycling or reusing your old machines.
6. Recover heat
Compressing air not only consumes a lot of energy, it also generates a lot of heat. In fact, the majority of energy used is converted into waste heat.
That leaves you with two options: You can choose to allow this waste heat to… well, go to waste. If you decide to do that, at least make sure it is not released inside of your compressor room to keep the ambient temperature low. As you have already learned, this also helps reduce your energy costs.
Or you can decide to harness this heat. Essentially, that allows you to reuse the power consumed during the compression process. This can greatly reduce your energy bill.
Here is how: Modern technologies allow you to reclaim nearly all of the heat generated during compression.
That heat can be used for a variety of different applications, such as heating water, replacing furnaces or in drying processes, just to name a few.
In many cases, this does not require major investments. For example, you can simply connect the compressor hot outlet to your HVAC ducting in the winter to heat your facilities. Optionally, you can choose to install the energy recovery kit and heat up water for use elsewhere in your facilities.
7. Use green energy
There is no way around using quite a bit of energy to compress air – at least not yet. However, what you can do is make sure that all or most of it is green energy.
That means installing solar panels and taking advantage of wind turbines to power your production (this recommendation is obviously not limited to your compressed air equipment).
Yes, these can constitute significant investments. However, many governments will now subsidize them to make sure that climate protection goals can be met. In addition, once you sit down, talk to the experts and do the math, you will find out that these are not just major investments but, more importantly, good investments.
They will lower your costs and significantly reduce your CO2 output.
Benefitting your pocket book and the environment
And that is what these recommendations are really all about. By implementing them, you can have a more sustainable business, meet increasingly stringent regulations, do your part for the environment – and achieve all of that by saving money.
Just like making sure to not keep your windows open all day while heating your home, some of these recommendations are no-brainers. They take almost no money and very little effort to implement, like rudimentary leak protection, but can have a major impact on your carbon footprint and your bottom line.
If you have questions about how you can lower your energy bill and contribute to a cleaner environment, contact an Atlas Copco representative now.
Our experts can offer you many general tips on making your operation more efficient. They can also explain how Atlas Copco products and services can ensure that you run a greener business while reducing your operating expenses.
