Compressor upgrade from fixed-speed to variable speed drive earns 51% energy savings for custom design and prototyping specialist.
A custom design and prototyping specialist company needed to replace its old, fixed-speed 11kW compressor because it didn’t have sufficient capacity to meet the demands from its new CNC machinery. The company invited Atlas Copco to come to site, look at their existing installation, monitor the system’s performance and report back with their recommendations.
Atlas Copco installation saves 51% in energy costs
A subsequent week-long iiTrak study of the regular compressed air usage pattern revealed the need for the existing compressor’s replacement and its relegation to standby duty. Calculations indicated long-term savings with a five-year payback from an upgrade plan recommending a new compressed air system.
The installation would include an Atlas Copco GA15 VSD+FF rotary screw compressor with integral refrigerant dryer, together with a 900 litre-air receiver, quality air and condensate treatment ancillaries. It also advised a modification to the distribution pipework system to improve air pressure and flow throughout the workplace.
The Atlas Copco compressor was predicted to save the company approximately 51 per cent of its energy consumption, a figure which equates to £2479 per annum based on 10p/kWh for the electricity supply and a yearly CO2 reduction of 13,064 kg. (Electricity cost from late 2020).