We find most compressed air systems lacking in this regard — particularly when it comes to load/unload air compressors that have been incorporated into compressed air system design by the general rule of thumb:1 gallon of storage for every 1 scfm of air. In fact, to achieve efficient operation they should have between 5-10 gallons of storage per scfm.
We challenge our clients to look back into the compressor manuals, where this information is qualified. This is important not just for energy efficiency, but for compressor reliability and compressed air quality.
4. Better Air Piping and Air Pipe Design
Compressed air piping systems are in my experience the number one system inefficiency. Every day I see air compressors running up to 125 psig, when production requirements rarely call for anything above 80 psig — a clear waste of 22% of the energy for these systems. And often there’s nothing we can do about it, because so much pressure is being lost due to friction in piping that is undersized or poorly designed.