Want to save money? Get out of the compressor room
Wouldn’t it be nice to reclaim some of the $3.2 billion dollars spent on energy in U.S. manufacturing facilities every year? It’s quite possible that your plant experiences some amount of wasted energy, and the culprit may be an inefficient or poorly designed compressor system. The good news is that this means there are big opportunities to reduce energy costs by thousands or even millions of dollars depending on your plant’s compressed air demands.
To seize this savings opportunity, your plant needs to look outside of the compressor room. That might seem like strange advice coming from someone who works for a compressor manufacturer, but the real savings come when you look backward – from point of use back to point of generation.
For example, we often see inefficiencies on the compressed air demand side, including swings in compressed air demand for transmission and at the point of use. Typical systems reduce power by only 3% to 7% for every 10% reduction in demand. A best-in-class system will reduce power in direct proportion to a reduction in compressed air demand.
Air is distributed from storage to the point of use, and compressors replenish the air stored in both the tanks and the distribution system. This means that efficiency depends not just on the compressor but also on maintaining the right balance between storage volume and pressure. Incorrect sizing of compressors or storage capacity diminishes system efficiency. Determining the proper compressed air volume required during routine operation and peak events needs to be a data-based decision, not a best guess.
Multiple compressed air events occur over time to generate the demand curve for the operation. Rate of change is an important consideration, and isolating an infrequent but regular event such as bag house pulsing, for example, can help determine the proper solution versus sizing the compressor(s) and system for the largest event or the highest pressure required.
Another factor with a major impact on efficiency is leaking. A pinhole leak of 1 cfm at a 24/7 operation can cost $100 annually. Add up all of the pinhole leaks, and that’s a lot of cost spent on inefficiency. Even more costly, open blowing of a quarter-inch hole will leak 100 cfm at 100 psi, which is the equivalent of a 20 horsepower compressor running continuously to meet an artificial demand. In addition to lost costs, leaks cause all kinds of problems, including fluctuating system pressure, lost efficiency of tools and equipment, greater need for maintenance, and lower equipment service life. A good service partner will identify the leaks, mark them, assess the value of the repair, and prioritize repairs.
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Graphical images are based on Ingersoll Rand data studies.
Other typical issues that can decrease operational efficiency are improper piping, inefficient consumption equipment analysis (especially for multiple regulation devices), restrictions or undersized hosing at the point of use, or the rate of change in a facility's overall demand profile.
There are solutions to these issues, but it takes the right expertise to identify them. Ask your service provider about a thorough analysis across the entire path of compressed air to pinpoint leaks, pressure drops, and design flaws that are a drag on your plant’s efficiency.
Today, we have sophisticated tools to find system flaws and to accurately measure what those flaws cost plants in terms of wasted energy. These tools can also identify where to make improvements or changes based on predictive data. Not all plants are large or complex enough to warrant using all of these technologies, but every plant can benefit from total systems knowledge.
So, break out of the compressor room and work with your service provider to claim your share of dollars lost to wasted energy.
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About the Author
Alexis GajewskiAlexis Gajewski
Senior Content Strategist
Alexis Gajewski is a manufacturing writer and editor with nearly 20 years of experience covering the people, practices, and technologies that keep industrial facilities running. For more than a decade, she served as Senior Content Strategist for Plant Services, creating content for plant managers, engineers, and maintenance professionals on a variety of industrial topics.
During her tenure, Alexis worked to develop the brand’s digital strategy and helped launch and produce Great Question: A Manufacturing Podcast. She also created The Lighter Side of Manufacturing, a weekly blog that explored the inventive and sometimes humorous side of the industry.
Alexis co-founded Influential Women in Manufacturing, a recognition program that honored 49 women in its first two years, earned an industry award for Best Product Launch, and received a proclamation from Illinois Governor JB Pritzker and a commendation from U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth.
She also led newsroom operations and development at a large media company where she set editorial standards, developed training curriculum, and helped support AI adoption for more than 150 editors across 80+ brands spanning manufacturing, industrial processing, automation, and more.
Additionally, Alexis works as a freelance writer and editor, and her areas of interest include continuous improvement, the skilled workforce, and the role of emerging technology on the plant floor.
Connect with Alexis on LinkedIn