A question that is occasionally asked by our customers to Ash Air is 'what is the cost of compressed air?' This article looks at the
product costs involved with compressed air, as well as minimising the energy cost of compressors and cost allocation. When looking at
these factors, we need to realise what causes dropped efficiency of your compressor, leading to increased costs of compressed air.
Air Leaks - are a common cause of wasted compressed air, infact 10%-30% is wasted through leaks.
Pressure Drop -filters, air dryers, valves, and piping are all in-out systems which cause and create pressure drops. To compensate for
pressure drops, you'll find that the compressor will have to be set to a higher pressure than usual, which in turn increases the
energy cost.
Pressure to high (Artificial Demand) - this is seen when you use a pressure that is higher that what you really need. If your compressor
operates at 8 bar, but only really needs 7, then you'll find that the extra 1 bar isn't actually needed, and if your compressor has
leaks at the higher pressure level you will unfortunately end up losing more energy.
Inefficient air production - assumptions are commonly made that the compressor runs at full load when operating, when really the compressor
will sometimes start and stop, running unloaded and fluctuations of pressure and air demand will be evident.
Another point to make is about the power of knowledge - having knowledge of your compressor, its specifications and its suitable operating
capabilities will definitely help you on your journey to understanding and recognising when your compressor is functioning well, and
when it isn't. Caring for your compressor system, regular servicing and check ups will help you greatly to reduce wasted cost every day
of the year. A compressor system that is say, medium sized can amazingly save between $10,000 and $30,000 per year!
The production costs of compressed air can vary. When planning a new investment, it is best to look as far into the future as possible and
attempt to assess the impacts of new situations and demands that might affect the compressed air installation. Typical examples include
environmental demands, energy-saving demands, increased quality requirements from production and future production expansion
investments.
Optimised compressor operations are becoming more important, especially for larger, compressed air-dependent industries. Production will
change over time in a developing industry and, consequently, so will compressor operation conditions. It is therefore important that the
compressed air supply be based both on current requirements as well as on development plans for the future. Experience shows that an
extensive and unbiased analysis of the operating situation will almost always result in improved overall economy.
Minimizing the energy cost of compressors
Energy costs are clearly the dominating factor for the installation's overall cost. It is therefore important to focus on finding solutions
that comply with demands for performance and quality as well as the demand for efficient energy utilization. The added cost associated
with acquiring compressors and other equipment that complies with both of these demands will be perceived over time as a good
investment.
As energy consumption often represents approx. 80% of the overall cost, care should be taken in selecting the regulation system. The
significant difference in the available regulation systems exceeds the significant differences in types of compressor. An ideal
situation is when compressor full capacity is precisely matched to the application's air consumption. This frequently occurs in
applications. Most types of compressors are supplied with their own on-board control and regulation system, but the addition of
equipment for shared control with other compressors in the installation can further improve operating economy.
Speed regulation has proven to be a popular regulation method because of its substantial energy-saving potential. Think carefully and allow
your application requirements to govern your selection of regulation equipment in order to obtain good results. If only a small amount
of compressed air is required during the night and weekends, it may be profitable to install a small compressor adapted to this off-peak
requirement.
If, for some reason, a particular application needs a different working pressure, this requirement should be analysed to find out whether
all compressed air production should be centralised in a compressor central plant, or whether the network should be split up according
to the different pressure levels. Sectioning of the compressed air network can also be considered to shut down certain sections during
the night and on the weekends, in order to reduce air consumption or to allocate costs internally based on airflow measurements.
Cost allocation
Investment costs are a fixed cost that include the purchase price, building infrastructure costs, installation and insurance. The share of the investment
cost as a part of the overall cost is determined partly by the selection of the compressed air quality level and partly by the depreciation period
and the applicable interest rate. The share of energy costs is determined by annual operating time, the degree of load/unload utilization and the unit
energy cost. Additional investments, for example, equipment for energy recovery, offer a direct payoff in the form of reduced operating and maintenance
costs.
Talk to the team today to see how we can help you minimise costs and maximise efficiency.
Your business performance is what we strive for. Ash Air offers a full range of Chicago Pneumatic and Alup air compressors, tools and
on-site solutions. We also provide oil-free compressors and food-grade oil to suit your needs. Ash Air are specialists in vacuum
pumps, blowers, and medical gas solutions. Ash Air offers complete quality air solutions as well as advanced piping systems for the
performance and efficiency of your compressed air system.
Do you have an idea for our #expertcorner? Let
us know!
Who we are and how Ash Air can help your business!
Ash Air has been around in New Zealand since 1979, and we’ve grown into a nationwide company with international support and a
reputation for quality and reliability.We look after all things compressed air for your business!
Reciprocating, Screw, air compressors
Vacuum pumps
Nitrogen
An extensive line of air treatment components
Ash Air's range of Chicago Pneumatic, Alup, Pneumatech, and Quincy compressors are used extensively around the world in industries
ranging from oil and gas to food, automotive and farming, and we bring you these world class compressors here in the land of the long white
cloud.Our technicians are compressed air equipment experts and are dedicated to addressing customer needs. Supported by a 13 locations
nationwide, Ash Air offers one of the widest selections of compressed air equipment and parts available today in New Zealand.
Reliability and Efficiency
With Ash Air compressors, you can count on reliability and high performance for even the most demanding applications. We focus our
efforts on the following:
Air compressors come in many types, rotary screw, piston, scroll, reciprocating, some are oil-free and other air compressors require oil
lubrication. Like many businesses, an efficient air compressor is at the heart of their operations. So, which type of compressor should you
choose? What makes a compressor, like a rotary screw, unique? Here are some clear cut benefits of equipping your business with a rotary
screw compressor.
Read More…
In the world of compressors, there are often significant and unutilized energy-saving possibilities including energy recovery, pressure
reduction, leakage reduction and optimization of operations through correct choice of a control and regulation system as well as the choice
of compressor size.We are going to take a look at some of the opportunities for minimizing the compressor’s operating costs.
Read More…
Many installations that produce compressed air offer significant and frequently unutilized energy
saving possibilities in
the form of waste energy recovery. In large industries, energy costs can amount to 80% of the total cost of compressed
air production.
However, a lot of this energy can be recovered, which in turn will save you a lot of money.
Read More…
Liquid water in compressed-air systems can lead to rusted equipment and unresponsive controls. Anyone who uses compressed air will, at some
point, find liquid water in the air distribution system. This can be anything from a nuisance to a serious problem, depending on the
application. If water might corrode equipment or introduce bacteria, removing it is critical.
Read More…
Liquid water in compressed-air systems can lead to rusted equipment and unresponsive controls. Anyone who uses compressed air will, at some
point, find liquid water in the air distribution system. This can be anything from a nuisance to a serious problem, depending on the
application. If water might corrode equipment or introduce bacteria, removing it is critical.
Read More…
Whenever most people think about a compressor, they probably have a piston compressor in mind. You might already know there are two basic
principles of air compression. One of those is the principle of displacement compression. There are a lot of compressor types that classify
as a displacement compressor. The piston compressor is one of them, oil-lubricated or oil-free.
Read More…
Once you have the size and type of
compressor figured out, one last question remains, should I go with an oil lubricated or oil-free air compressor. To not overcomplicate the
answer, your choice should be based on the application and process that the compressed air will be utilized in.
Read More…
Like all compressor types, rotary screw models do require periodic maintenance. Thanks to the simplicity of the internal components,
maintenance is relatively easy on most rotary air compressors. As long as you stick to a rotary screw compressor maintenance schedule, you
will likely be rewarded with many, many years of optimal productivity from your machine.
Read More…
Did you know, the biggest part of the air we breathe is nitrogen? Everyone needs oxygen to survive, however air is made up of 78% nitrogen,
only 21% oxygen and tiny amounts of other gases. Although, the human body does not use this nitrogen, it is very helpful in various
industrial applications. There is an unlimited source of nitrogen readily available, allowing you to achieve needed purity at a fraction of
your current annual nitrogen cost.
Read More…
If you notice that your compressor is getting hot and bothered, there may be heating issues affecting your air compressors performance. Did
you know that an overheating compressor is top of the pops for being the most common cause of compressor failure.
Read More…
A rotary-screw compressor is an air compressor that uses a rotary-type positive-displacement mechanism, typically used replace piston
compressors where large volumes of high-pressure air are needed, either for large industrial applications or to operate high-power air
tools.
Read More…
Have a look around and what do you see? What are you thinking about? Your next holiday to Queenstown maybe? You might go snowboarding with
the kids or have some alone time at the Day Spa. Whatever holiday you choose, compressed air is involved in some way, without you even
realising it!
Read More…
There are crucial reasons why you should service and maintain your compressor regularly, with the most common issues being piston failure
caused by wear of components, increased friction, corrosion, reduced cooling, overheating bearings and components, clogging of air filters.
Read More…
Our passion for energy efficiency and cost saving derives from the concern for our children’s future. Analysing the efficiency of your
system is a brilliant way to start saving.
Read More…
Compressed air is all around us, from the air in a balloon to pumping up tires on your bicycle. In this article we will explain what
compressed air is and how it is created. Whether you know it or not, compressed air is involved in every aspect of our lives, from the
balloons at your birthday party to the air in the tires of our cars and bicycles. It was probably even used when making the phone, tablet or
computer you’re viewing this on.
Read More…
One of the biggest challenges is to correctly size your new air compressor. Similarly to everything else, new compressors available on the
market are more efficient and employ better technology, therefore you have to understand the application and usage to size the machine
correctly. Choosing the wrong air compressor for your facility can lead to problems with production and or increased costs due to wasted
energy.
Read More…
Once you have the size of the air compressor figured out, the
next thing to do is to decide on the type of compresor you will need for your application - piston, rotary screw compressor etc. Let us take
a look at two of the most popular options available. When choosing the right type of compressor, you should ask yourself the following
questions:
Read More…
Which vacuum pump do I need? - this is one of the most frequent questions we receive and this is understandable, because there are number
of technologies which can provide the same vacuum level and pumping speed. Here is quick advice on how to choose the best vacuum pump for
your needs.
Read More…
You may be asking, why does my air compressor start, then stop? Allow us to take the guessing out of it. We understand your pain. We know
that a compressor problem can quickly result in hours (if not days) of production downtime and loss of revenue. When your compressor
continuously shuts off from on, we refer that as a short cycle. There are a few reasons that a short cycle may be happening with your
compressor.
Read More…
Air compressor leaks are very common in all applications, but can be very costly and difficult to find. On average, 20-30% of the compressed
air used in a manufacturing plant is wasted as leaked air. Finding and fixing these leaks can save your business thousands of wasted dollars
a year.
Read More…
When installing a compressed air system into a business, people often look to PVC piping as an option to build a piping system because it is
cheap, versatile and easy to install. However, using PVC pipe in any compressed air application is extremely dangerous and NOT recommended
by multiple associations and manufacturers.
Read More…
Changing the oil and oil filters on your compressor is one of the most common routine maintenance tasks to perform to keep your compressor
running efficiently. After you remove your old oil and oil filter, you may find yourself wondering, “Where do I dispose of these?”, or “Can I
just throw them in the trash?”. Because oil is toxic and a pollutant, disposing of your old oil and filters is not as simple as just tossing
them in the trash.
Read More…
