Exposing the truth about wasted energy in compressed air systems
Looking back to 2021 , it was easy to consider compressed air as something of a ‘ free ’ resource . Energy prices were low and manufacturers generating compressed air for one area of their factory could utilise it in another area for next to zero marginal cost . However , since energy prices began their upwards journey , compressed air is no longer the cheap commodity it once used to be . In 2022 , the British Compressed Air Society ( BCAS ) conducted research into the extent of compressed air use in UK industry . They found that 70 % of UK industry uses compressed air in some form or another and that on average , 30 % of a business ’ s entire energy costs could be attributed to compressed air generation .
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Using figures from the ( then recent ) UK Energy-related products policy study , conducted by ICF in May 2021 , they calculated the combined energy usage for the mid-point of all industrial compressor technologies over their lifetime at 11.71 TWh . Based on the current UK average non-domestic electrical unit cost of 12.49p / kWh at the time , the figures were substantial - equating to £ 1.475 billion being spent by UK companies to generate the compressed air their businesses rely on .
Add to this the fact that on average 32.9 per cent of this energy was being wasted through leaks and inefficient practices - equivalent to £ 485.43 million in wasted electricity spend - and we began to understand the extent of which this presents a problem for UK manufacturing .
Skip forwards to today and the Department of Business , Energy and Industrial Strategy ( BEIS ) has recently published its figures for UK average nondomestic electricity costs for the final quarter of 2022 . This figure now stands at 24.56p / kWh according to statistics , but it is estimated that many industrial tariffs are now reaching as high as 50.73p / kWh as of January 2023 .
Since energy prices began their upwards journey , compressed air is no longer the cheap commodity it once used to be .
If we use the Government ’ s current published figures as a starting point and adjust the BCAS research for today ’ s prices , we find that £ 2.943 billion is being used to generate compressed air in the UK . At a loss rate of 32.9 %, that ’ s almost £ 1 billon of wasted energy every year in the UK , equivalent to £ 2.62 million every single day .
This staggering figure may come as a surprise to many of the UK ’ s manufacturers who have until recently worked on an ‘ out of sight , out of mind ’ policy when it comes to monitoring exactly what is going on within their compressor houses . It ’ s with this in mind that industry veterans Thorite recently launched their ‘ Behind Closed Doors ’ campaign , urging businesses to gain a better insight into what their compressors are actually doing for them . From scheduled leak testing to automatic shut off valves , datalogging to flow control and monitoring , the options for saving energy are numerous and the results are astonishing .
While energy savings in the past might have been outweighed by the cost of fixing leaks , thanks to the latest energy prices , the return on investment to combat inefficiencies is now months , not years . Not to mention the opportunity to reduce carbon emissions by up to 3.2 tons per year - a consideration that companies can ’ t help but be aware of .
With all things considered , isn ’ t it time your company found out what is happening behind closed doors ?
For further information , please visit www . thorite . co . uk / energy