Have you had to reduce your production during these uncertain times? Well, it may be worth noting that you can save money on energy costs.
Here are our top three tips to help you reduce your costs:
1) Reduce unloaded running hours
Compressor controllers offer user-friendly ways to reduce unloaded running hours. If you have a couple of compressors, then they should have been installed to have this automatically.
But if there is no controller, then the compressor pressure bands should be set up in a cascade method. The on-board controllers will stop the machines if they are unneeded when the compressed air target pressure is reached.
If compressors continue to run unloaded after working hours, it still uses as much as 25% of the energy consumed at full load.
The shorter the production time, the more you can save by switching off compressors instead of letting them run unloaded.
If production is reduced, but not stopped, you could possibly isolate the areas that are not currently being used.
2) Ensure you have no air leaks
A compressed air system requires a significant financial commitment both in terms of equipment and in terms of the costs of running that system.
So the last thing you would want is up to 20% of the running costs being wasted by air leaking out of the pipes!
If you are still working on site and have some spare time, we recommend taking the opportunity to detect the leaks in your system. For example, you could run your air compressor with no production to check for leaks. Fixing air leaks will start to save you money immediately.
3) Recover waste heat
One area that provides a significant opportunity for savings is to recover the waste heat from air compressors. Without energy recovery, heat will be lost from the cooling system and radiation.
The quantity of electrical energy that can be recovered depends on the size of the compressor and running hours. Usual recoveries are between 70%-94%.
Recovering heat from compressed air reduces the need for purchasing energy, for example to heat hot water. This results in lower operating costs and CO2 emissions, while reducing your carbon footprint.
If you would like any more information or help on how to reduce your costs, please don’t hesitate to call our friendly team today on 0191 487 9242 or email sales@wearsidepneumatics.co.uk.
