6 Tips to reduce energy cost in compressed air
Check this tips to lower electric fee whatever your production demands are
According to the current pandemic that affects the production line in your factory, this article will help you to reduce the electric fee or save on energy costs. The compressed air system can cost much money for electric charge typically about 12%, some can be as high as 40% depends on an area could have a big impact.
“We are here to help you reduce your energy cost at all times”
1. Reduce unloaded running hours
The typical fluctuation of air demand in your compressed air system costs you much money when you don’t notice it. Our suggestion to take it seriously to optimizing energy efficiency.
With Controller
The new compressor controller provides a new interface user-friendly to help you reduce unload time. If you have a compressor of more than one unit then the controller should set up automatically.
Without Controller
You should set up the compressor pressure brand in the cascade method, which means when the onboard compressor controller will stop if the compressed air target pressure is achieved. Atlas Copco Elektronikon on-board machine controllers have the function of programable start/stop timers. Our service sales teams are available to help guide you through this process.
25% of the energy consumed at full load, the compressors still running after working hours if there are leaks in the system. Also, something can happen if you have leaks in the system, which means your compressed air can switch to loaded running and consume more energy.
2. Eliminate air leaks
| Orifice dia. (mm) | Air Leakage (cfm) at 7 bar(g) | Power Wasted (kW) | The annual cost of air leakage* | Weekly Cost of Air Leakage* |
| 1.6 | 6.5 | 1.08 | 26,369.67 THB | 506.82 THB |
| 3.2 | 26 | 4.33 | 105,478.26 THB | 2,028.57 THB |
| 6.4 | 104 | 17.33 | 421,912.62 THB | 8,113.85 THB |
3. Reduce the pressure band
A reduction of 1 bar in pressure (14.5 psi) can save electricity consumption 7%. When you setting the pressure band, you should be adjusted to reach the lowest pressure and this setting shouldn’t affect the application.
For the case of multi compressors, I suggested you set a centralized system by using a central controller. The network should be run in a narrow pressure band to ensure the limit of pressure meets your application requirements.
Our Atlas Copco control allows you to set the controller system manually or automatically that can create two different pressure bands. With this function, you can guarantee that you can optimize energy used in the different pressor bands.
This process ensures that lowering system pressure reduces the impact of leaks. You reduce 1 bar of pressure decrease the impact of air leaks by 13%.
4. Switch the compression heat of compressed air into useful energy with heat recovery
Another way to use energy efficiency for your manufacturers by recovering the waste heat from air compressors. How can you waste a huge amount of energy without anything in return? Where do you lose in which process? Let’s see it together, after the system compression the air pass to the cooling system and radiation. In the point that I mention you already lost the heat energy into the atmosphere.
Our new technology ER or “Energy Recovery” can take back your heat energy. The amount of energy that can be recovered depends on the size of the compressor and running hours with the typical recoveries are between 70-94%.
Some examples of recovering heat from compressions reduce the purchasing energy to heat hot water. This step shows the lower operating costs, CO2 emission, and carbon footprint. Read our compressor blog on Energy Recovery in Compressor Systems to see the detailed information on how can you save energy via energy recovery from air-cooled same as water-cooled compressors systems.
*Approximately 70% of energy is recoverable from oil-injected screw compressors, and up to 94% from oil-free water-cooled screw compressors. By Atlas Copco Engineering*
5. Ensure the correct type of compressor is installed
The different type of compressors provides unique results. The effective result base on energy saving, you can replace variable speed drive compressors (VSD technology) with a fixed speed compressor for the fluctuated pressure demand. VSD reduces or minimizes the unloading time of the compressor as you have known more unload time means waste more energy.
*A VSD compressor saves an average of 35% energy and a VSD+ unit can save as much as 50% compared to a fixed speed unit, even at full load. Check VSD vs Fixed Speed technology here!
6. Don’t forget the impact of regular maintenance
Have you thought about the regular cost of preventive maintenance? The sustainable and efficient way to manage the purchasing with a new compressor or improve the performance of older compressors.
They have several ways that you can decide.
- Purchase spare parts (fake parts or genius parts – check our articles about spare parts result) and do maintenance in-house. In this case for the genius parts plan, you can sign up for the maintenance program from the manufacturer or approve the distributor.
- Save your time and money to choose “A total responsibility package” that covers the breakdowns of machines and the key point to reduce compressor performance can’t avoid when the machine gets older. With the professional regular servicing can be improved your compressors uptime and energy efficiency.
Atlas Copco Thailand – Compressor Technique has a dedicated service team that includes our engineering specialist and distributor’s service engineer to support you for the after-sales & technical support due to the compressed air solutions such as compressors, air dryers, screw blower, nitrogen & oxygen gas generators, AIRnet piping system and the energy-saving programs to analyze your investment. Contact us today to check on our promotion.
