What makes compressed air one of the most expensive energy carriers? Pascal van Putten, CEO of VPInstruments explains: “When compressing atmospheric air to a pressure of 90 to 100 psi, 75% of the electrical energy absorbed in the compressor is lost as heat. Pressure loss and leaks, among other things, ensure that the electrical efficiency of the entire compressed air installation is only 7.5 to 15%. This can be improved, and you would expect companies to do everything they can to achieve this. Yet this is not the case and every year billions of dollars in energy are wasted worldwide, simply because many companies neglect to repair leaks and to optimize the efficiency of their compressed air installation.”

Not really sustainable

Approximately 5% of all electrical energy used worldwide is converted into compressed air, in the industry this is even 10%. The generation of this enormous amount of energy contributes to CO2 emissions and climate change. For that reason alone, it is sensible and even necessary to reduce the compressed air consumption. In addition, companies simply increase their earnings if they improve the efficiency of their compressed air installation.

Leakage management: low hanging fruit

Addressing compressed air leaks is a critical, yet often overlooked aspect of optimizing energy efficiency in industrial settings. Despite its simplicity and relatively low investment requirements, detecting and repairing leaks can yield significant cost savings. Pascal van Putten, CEO of VPInstruments, underscores the straightforward nature of leak detection and repair: “It is absolutely not complicated and does not require high investments to start detecting and repairing leaks “Let me give some examples of the costs of leaks from an installation that operates 8,760 hours/year. The system pressure is 100 PSI and the electricity costs are USD 0.10 per kWh. 10 holes of just 1/16” cost the company USD 10,500 per year. While 10 holes of 1/8”, the costs increase to USD 41,900. And in practice, we often encounter hundreds of leaks of all different sizes, and also larger than 1/8″! You can imagine what the total financial losses in that case will be.

To detect and repair the leaks you will spend a few thousand USD on a simple measuring system and parts such as gaskets, hoses, and quick couplings. We therefore call leaks the ‘low hanging fruit’ in compressed air installations. Easy to detect, easy to repair and it produces immediate financial profit. Companies often have an external agency carry out a leak audit in which all leaks found in the factory are marked with TAGs. It is not uncommon that when the auditor returns to the factory a year later, the TAGs he applied are still there. So, nothing has been done about it while the costs continue as normal!”

Every second many dollars will disappear into thin air if compressed air leaks are not repaired

Prevent production downtime

Apart from the financial benefits, there is also another and perhaps even more important reason to ensure that the compressed air system functions optimally and efficiently. A reliable compressed air supply is crucial in many factories for the continuity of many production processes. The right amount of flow and pressure determine the correct operation of production machines. However, leaks contribute to pressure loss. Insufficient pressure can not only lead to machine downtime, but also affect the quality of products. Errors in packaging or inconsistent texture/taste of foods can inevitably lead to costly recalls. Not to mention the damage to your image. In addition, if pressure drop is incorrectly diagnosed as an equipment defect, there is a chance that investment in new equipment will be required. This entails (unnecessary) additional investments that could have been better utilized elsewhere. Optimizing compressed air systems not only increases energy efficiency, but also establishes the foundation for a reliable and well-performing production process.