Compressed Air

Compressed air, unlike gas, water, and most often electricity, is a utility that is generated in-house and one of the primary energy expenses in an industrial plant. Air is not typically viewed as a cost of production—but it is anything but “free.” It is estimated that energy costs of a typical compressed air system can be reduced by 20 to 35 percent. For many companies this represents tens of thousands of dollars of potential savings annually.

Compressed air is one of the most expensive uses of energy in a manufacturing plant. About eight horsepower of electricity is used to generate one horsepower of compressed air. Calculating the cost of compressed air can help you justify system improvements that increase energy efficiency. Approximately 70 percent of all manufacturers have a compressed air system. These systems power a variety of equipment, including machine tools, material handling and separation equipment, and spray painting equipment. Energy audits conducted by the U. S. Department of Energy (DOE) suggest that over 50 percent of compressed air systems at small to medium sized industrial facilities have energy efficiency opportunities with low implementation costs.

By learning more about the use of your compressed air systems, you can improve efficiency; reduce costs, and increase productivity and reliability. This can lead to improved competitiveness, less downtime, increased product quality, and greater return on investment. A Quality Energy Compressed Audit will address the following areas:

- Air Dryer Engineering
- Compressed Air Piping
- Compressor Sizing
- Machine Condition
- Equipment & Distribution Inefficiencies
- Energy Losses & Air Leaks

Quality Energy offers detailed metered analyses where data is accurately measured and recorded for a prescribed period. Our results are an ROI based solution not just explanations of the problem.

Contact a Quality Energy representative to determine the potential for energy savings click here.