Ai forum highlights compressed air audit benefits

A recent Australian Industry Group (Ai Group) forum has provided insight into how compressed air audits can reduce energy consumption and costs and optimise use of technology.

The Ai Group’s Environmental Solutions Forums aim to provide companies with practical solutions in the areas of energy, water and waste. The forums bring together companies that face environmental challenges with those, such as CAPS Australia, that provide products, research and guidance that help businesses to meet these challenges. The forums also provide important networking opportunities.

Speaking at the Forum in Melbourne, Quentin St Baker, of Energy Efficiency Services - a newly formed division of CAPS Australia - demonstrated how compressed air audits can benefit companies to get the most out of their technology and reduce energy consumption and costs.

Compressed air is an important and major part of most manufacturing and industrial processes and St Baker provided forum attendees with insights on maximising compressed air system efficiencies. “By embracing the benefits of new energy-efficient technologies, many opportunities are available for compressed air users to improve both their bottom line and the environment,” said St Baker.

It is estimated that air compressors in Australia consume 10-15% of all electricity used by industry. Many systems are operating with old technology or ineffective controls, wasting large volumes of air through leaks, inappropriate usage and other artificial demands. Investing wisely in new equipment, and leveraging existing systems, will allow companies to begin saving energy more effectively. New control technologies allow compressors to more accurately match demand to significantly reduce energy consumption and improve payback periods.

St Baker’s presentation was well received by the audience - representing manufacturers from a range of industry sectors - and complemented the presentations of other guests that detailed their organisations’ strategies for becoming more sustainable and how their experience can help others. Using several examples, St Baker demonstrated how careful matching of the compressor to the application can realise huge savings.

St Baker concluded: “Air audits offer a detailed breakdown of compressed air demands for different processes in a facility over a period of time, and quantify variations in demand and peak air requirements for a system. The collected data, once analysed, gives companies an overview of energy and life cycle costs allowing for an analysis that can be used to determine energy savings available from more energy-efficient alternative compressed air solutions.”