Air compressors can gobble up profits. Sullair’s air compressor tips can offer you energy efficiency improvements of between 20 to 50 per cent. Save energy and operating costs on your compressed air system by:
Maintaining your air compressor system regularly
Selecting the correct air compressor for your needs
Optimising the size of your air distribution system
Controlling air quality.
Here are some simple changes to save you thousands:
Turn off compressed air equipment when not in use
Reduce air pressure to the minimum required to do the job
Prevent unnecessary compressed air use on drying or cleaning
Educate staff to look out for waste and leaks, and report these immediately
Hot air ducted away from the air compressor intake area can be used for space or water heating.
Low-cost improvements:
Regularly check for leaks. For example, a 6mm hole (or equivalent area of smaller holes or leaking joints) could waste $18,000 per year on an air compressor system operating at 700kPa
Install automatic timers to turn off your air compressor when not in use
Service your air compressor as recommended by its manufacturers
Reduce air temperatures, as the temperature of the air drawn in by your air compressor can significantly affect running costs. Six per cent of energy can be saved by using cooler air from outside your air compressor room
Shorten air distribution distances or look at moving your air compressor closer to where your compressed air is used
Check all belt drives for tension regularly in belt-driven air compressors. Energy losses due to incorrect tension because of excessive stress on air compressors and motor bearings are common.
Buy wisely:
Select the air compressor size that runs most efficiently when it is run at ‘full load’
Ensure that your air compressor matches your needs, and do not install an oversized compressor to meet anticipated future demand. Buying an additional, appropriately sized air compressor when needed later is usually more economical and efficient
Consider energy-efficient accessories to minimise energy losses in compressed air systems such as high-efficiency filters and dryers, or choose compressors with variable outputs.
Choose appropriately sized air receivers to act as a buffer between output and demand
Order a power cost calculation or a compressed air audit.
