According to a report entitled ‘Compressed Air Systems in the European Union’, when looking at the most important energy savings techniques available to compressed air users, ‘the energy savings amount to 32.9 per cent, achievable over a 15 year period’. These are significant, potential savings, but how do these translate to the average compressed air user here in the UK?
Using figures from the recent UK Energy-related products policy study, conducted by ICF in May 2021, the combined energy usage for the mid-point of all industrial compressor technologies over their lifetime is calculated at 11.71 TWh. Based on the current UK average non-domestic electrical unit cost of £0.1249/kWh3, this equates to a huge £1.475 billion being spent by UK companies to generate the compressed air their businesses rely on. And, as we already know, over 30 per cent of this energy is being wasted through inefficient practices – a whopping £485.43 million!
At a UK-wide level, the figures are substantial, if not a little alarming; but even at an individual site level, they represent a considerable overhead – not to mention carbon footprint – that, if reduced would make a significant contribution to bottom line profitability and environmental performance. But no business is perfect and reducing all of this wastage is a tall order.
So BCAS had created the 10% Taskforce – a call to arms for UK businesses to take simple steps to cut this compressed air energy usage figure by 10 per cent.