Cutting compressed air energy costs in industry

Why compressed air energy matters

The third edition (2016) of the US Department of Energy (DOE) sourcebook Improving Compressed Air System Performance, written with the Compressed Air Challenge, says that in many industrial facilities air compressors use more electricity than any other type of equipment, and that electricity costs are by far the largest expense of owning and operating most compressed air systems.

Fix leaks

According to the sourcebook, leaks sometimes waste 20 to 30 percent of a compressor’s output, and a typical plant that has not been well maintained will likely have a leak rate equal to 20 percent of its total compressed air production capacity. The Compressed Air Challenge Fact Sheet #7 (May 2026) says that proactive leak detection and repair can reduce leaks to less than 10% of compressor output, that reduced system pressure results in reduced leakage rates, and that once leaks have been repaired the compressor control system should be re-evaluated to realise the total savings potential.

Lower pressure and pressure drop

The Compressed Air Challenge Fact Sheet #1 (May 2026) gives a rule of thumb that every 2 psi increase in operating pressure requires an additional 1% in operating energy costs, and Fact Sheet #11 (May 2026) says that the complete drying, filtration and distribution system should be sized and arranged so that the total pressure drop from the air compressor to the points of use is much less than 10% of the compressor discharge pressure. The ULTRASEC refrigeration dryer datasheet estimates that an increase of 1 bar on the compressor costs about 7% of the installed motor power. See why pressure drop costs energy.

Match compressor output to demand

A 2004 DOE tip sheet on compressor controls notes that compressors running at part load are generally less efficient than at full load, that variable speed controls reduce the speed of the compressor in low demand periods, and advises developing a pressure and demand profile before investing in additional controls.

The ULTRASCREW oil-injected rotary screw compressor has a variable speed version for which its datasheet states up to 35% energy savings and operation over a 5 to 14 bar pressure range. The Ultra Controlo Industrial 2026 catalogue lists ULTRASCREW in fixed speed (FSD), variable speed (VSD) and two-stage with variable speed (DS) versions, and describes the VSD drive as adjusting compressor speed to the network’s real demand, reducing load/unload cycles, energy waste and current peaks at start-up.

Stop inappropriate uses of compressed air

The 2016 sourcebook says users should always consider more cost-effective forms of power before considering compressed air. Its 2016 edition lists as potentially inappropriate uses: open blowing, sparging, aspirating, atomizing, padding, dilute-phase and dense-phase transport, vacuum generation, personnel cooling, open hand-held blowguns or lances, diaphragm pumps, cabinet cooling, vacuum venturis and air motors. For vacuum, see central vacuum systems for factories.

Treat air only as much as needed, and recover heat

The sourcebook adds that filtration only to the level required by each compressed air application minimises pressure drop and the resulting energy consumption, and that drying compressed air beyond the required pressure dew point results in unnecessary energy and costs. It also notes that as much as 80 to 93% of the electrical energy used by an industrial air compressor is converted into heat, and that heat can be recovered and used for producing hot water or hot air.