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Energy-efficient compressed air generation

Save energy and money.

 

The responsible use of resources and the saving of energy play an important role for the profitability of a company today and will become increasingly indispensable in the future. It is therefore all the more important to identify the processes in the company where energy-saving potential can be achieved with relatively little effort. This is the case, for example, with compressed air generation.

 

The life cycle cost of a compressor is generally divided into three groups, capital investment or purchase price, maintenance and energy consumption. The energy costs have the largest share of the three groups, followed by the purchase price. Maintenance costs have the smallest share.

Compressed air audits are a good way to quickly identify the actual costs being incurred. But it's important to understand how each of these factors affects your bottom line and what steps can be taken to minimize total lifecycle costs.

What is the composition of the energy costs of a compressor?

1. Performance and motor efficiency

Each electric motor has an efficiency class that determines the percentage of electrical input power the motor uses to drive the compressor.
Although there is a wide range of efficiency classes, a good rule of thumb is that the older and the smaller the compressor motor, the less efficient it is. For example, a 75 kW premium efficiency class IE3 motor typically has a minimum motor efficiency of about 95%. To calculate this for your compressor, you will need the motor efficiency in the motor manufacturer's data sheet and the motor rating from the motor nameplate.

2. Service factor

The service factor indicates how far a motor can operate above its rated power without damaging the motor. A service factor of 1.15 means that the motor can be operated at 15% above its rated power.

3. Running times and energy costs

The operating hours are the number of hours the compressor is operated at the given capacity value and are usually given per year. The energy costs for your area can be obtained from your local energy supplier.

 

Why are energy costs so high?

Here you can see the main reasons for the high energy costs in compressed air generation

 

How can energy costs be reduced?

There are a variety of ways to make a compressor station more efficient e.g. by using an energy efficient compressor. We show you further steps to optimize your compressed air station in our info sheet

10 steps to more efficient compressed air generation

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