Compressed Air System Energy Audits

What Is Investigated During a Compressed Air Audit?

An eAirAudit air system audit analyzes:

• Compressed air system demand
• Optimization of plant processes

Level of Air Treatment - An air treatment level is selected based on the application and system components requirements.

Proper air quality saves a plant money be extending the service life of equipment and increasing system uptime. Poor air quality results in short component life increasing operating and maintenance costs.

Leaks - Identify and quantify leaks in the system and recommend a leak management program.

Controls - Evaluate the control system to see if an upgrade or modification will improve performance based on the system demand profile

Piping System - The layout of the piping system is reviewed. Pressure drop and efficiency are measured and condensate removal is reviewed. Simple changes that can enhance system performance are suggested.

Artificial Demand - A common practice is to increase system pressure to meet compressed air need thus creating artificial demand. In our experience, 25 to 30% of the horsepower used to generate compressed air is a result of unnecessarily high system pressure. By analyzing the compressed air systems load profile a strategy can often be devised to reduce horsepower and wasted energy.

Many compressed air problems are caused by fluctuating pressure at point of use locations. These low air pressure fluctuations are often misinterpreted as a need for additional compressor capacity when a simple system redesign will remedy the problems. The capital cost of redesigning a compressed air system usually pales in comparison with continuing to operate inefficiently.

End-Use Equipment - The compressed air systems components are considered. When appropriate replacements and upgrades are recommended that offer cost savings. Equipment reviewed during the audit include:

• Filters
• Aftercooler
• Compressed air dryer
• Automatic drain valves
• Air receivers

Up to 30% Energy Savings

According to a recent DOE report, compressed air generation averages 10% of a plants electric cost. By running a compressed air audit and getting the compressed air system to peak efficiency you drive thousands of dollars to the bottom line. Electricity averages 80% of the cost to operate a compressed air system over five years (see chart).

"...50% of industrial plants air systems harbor opportunities for large energy savings with relatively low project costs." according to the Department of Energy's 2001 report "Assessment of the Market for Compressed Air Efficiency Services."

In the U.S., compressed air systems account for $1.5 billion per year in energy costs, and 0.5 percent of emissions. Many industries use compressed air systems as power sources for tools and equipment used for pressurizing, atomizing, agitating, and mixing applications.

Download a free sample of a comprehensive audit to see what you will learn from an eAirAudit.

Sample Report

We are confident in our technical methods and are therefore willing to offer turnkey execution of our recommendations with guarantees on the return on investment which will result.

Compressed air is widely recognized as industries fourth utility. It is the only utility the end-user has the sole responsibility to produce and maintain in-house. Compressed air is a very costly utility; it is not "free". Developing an understanding of the dynamics of a compressed air system (CAS) is advantageous to the end user for two main reasons.

First, a CAS is inherently inefficient. Due to heat loss during the heat of compression, only approximately 10% of the input energy is usable energy at the point of use. Therefore, significant opportunities exist to reduce the input energy consumed to meet the compressed air demand, sometimes in the neighborhood of 35-40%.

Secondly, the CAS can be a source of numerous problems that bring about added costs, product rejection and unnecessary downtime due to the erratic and inefficient performance of the CAS.

It is with these facts in mind that industry owners, managers and engineers must recognize that industrial compressed air systems can represent the most insidious form of industrial waste in a plant, and therefore, offer great opportunities for efficiency improvements and increasing the bottom line.

Applications

kWh Calculator

The objective of compressed air energy-savings projects is to reduce the kWh consumed by the electric motors powering your air compressors. Please use the calculator below to achieve an understanding of the kWh consumed (or saved) in your compressed air system.

CO₂ Calculator

Translating "kWh" into equivalent CO2 emissions can help Energy Managers motivate employees to participate in Energy Management Programs. Find your kWh savings number to see the corresponding CO2 emission equivalents.