As industries strive to become more sustainable, many are turning to compressed air to optimise efficiency levels and save on energy costs. To help with sustainability in industrial work settings, it is critical to ensure there are protocols in place to minimise air leaks from occurring frequently.
The manufacturing industry loses 20% to 40% of its generated air to leaks, and even a small leak in a small air system can cost your business, up to £7 a day, and even a 3mm hole has the potential to cost your business up to £600 a year. So, it is important to maintain the machinery, such as silent air compressors and nitrogen generators.
Oil-less air compressors are also one of the sustainable options for industries as they don’t require regular oil changes, so it is important these are also maintained regularly.
The best way to address air leaks and prevent them from occurring again is to follow a simple 3-step process of listening, looking, and detecting. You need to listen out for any hissing sounds or any sounds that show that a leak has happened. You then to look for where that leak has happened and mix water and washing up liquid in a bowl and work into a lather. The detection process of using devices such as ultrasonic leak detectors will then follow this.
Once these air leaks have been addressed, they can go a long way to contributing toward saving energy costs. Here are some ways sustainable how compressed air can help reduce energy costs.
3 Ways How Compressed Air Helps Optimise Efficiency Levels
1. By Providing Advance Monitoring and Control
Sustainable compressed air provides an advanced monitoring and control system to help your business reduce its energy consumption. This system can be used to monitor the performance of your air compressor so that you can make any necessary adjustments to ensure it is running at peak efficiency.
Additionally, this system can also be used to monitor your air usage so that you can adjust your production accordingly. When you use compressed air in your business, it is important to have a system in place that monitors and controls the air pressure. This is because if the air pressure is too high, it can cause damage to your equipment.
An example of a system that can be used to monitor and control air pressure is an air compressor controller. This type of system can help to regulate the air pressure in your system, which can help to save energy costs.
- By Lowering Noise Level
Sustainable compressed air can also help to lower the noise level in your workplace. With prolonged exposure, sound levels generated by compressors can range from 40-92 dB, with noise levels above 85 dB being considered hazardous.
This is important because it can help to create a more comfortable working environment for your employees. Additionally, it can also help to reduce the amount of noise pollution that is emitted from your business.
In workplaces such as construction sites, employees might have to wear ear protection tools such as earmuffs or earplugs to perform certain tasks while simultaneously blocking out the loud noise.
The lower noise level can also help to improve the quality of the air in your system, as it will be less likely to cause vibrations that can disrupt the airflow. Lowering the noise level in your system can also help to save energy costs, as it will require less power to run the system.
3. By Heating and Cooling
Sustainable compressed air can also help to save energy costs by heating and cooling your workplace. This is because the air compressor can be used to provide airflow to your HVAC system.
HVAC systems in sustainable air compressors can be more energy efficient because they use less energy to operate. Additionally, using a sustainable air compressor can also help to improve the indoor air quality in your workplace, especially in healthcare workplaces.
Conclusion
As industries strive to become more sustainable, many are turning to sustainable compressed air as a way to optimize efficiency levels and save energy costs.
Sustainable compressed air offers a variety of benefits, though a key aspect to achieving this is to make sure all machinery are maintained so that it prevents there being any circumstances of air leaks.
