Energy saving has benefits beyond compliance

Australia’s new carbon price is increasing demand for compressors with the greatest energy efficiency. We see Australian companies putting greater emphasis on the benefits of premium-quality compressors over budget equipment than ever before.

The carbon price calculation is included in the federal government’s Clean Energy Future Plan and will be based on the National Greenhouse Energy Reporting (NGER) data submitted via the scheme’s OSCAR (Online System for Comprehensive Activity Reporting - NGER Reporting Tool) system. Two key elements of the plan will be a ‘price per tonne’ carbon tax and encouragement of energy efficiency. The plan is designed to encourage industry to develop proactive plans to mitigate any environmental impact of its operations.

It is regularly reported that approximately 15% of all electricity consumed by industry is used to compress air. With the carbon pricing regime soon to be implemented, we’ve noticed a definite trend towards purchasing premium two-stage VSD compressors instead of lower-cost alternatives. This stems from the marketplace placing greater emphasis on reducing power costs and lowering emissions. Quality compressors can deliver greater efficiency and improved running costs when compared to cheaper alternatives.

More companies are looking to identify the real underlying value of their decisions and not just looking for short-term paybacks. Australian companies are adopting a longer-term view and can see both the energy and emission benefits to be gained by investing in premium equipment.

To achieve peak efficiency and reduce operating costs, a two-stage compressor uses less energy to compress a given volume of air when compared to a single-stage conventional compressor. Combining this with advanced synchronous motor technology, such as a hybrid permanent magnet, allows these types of compressors to run at 95% operating efficiency throughout their entire speed range. The motor is controlled by variable speed inverters that match compressor output to demand at all times. They are designed to produce the most air using the least amounts of energy - and continue to do this down to loads as low as 20%.

Energy consumption can represent 80% of the life cycle costs of compressed air generation in a typical manufacturing plant. Significant savings in operating costs and improvements in bottom line profits can be made by simply upgrading an inefficient compressed air system.

Businesses must find a balance between strong financial outcomes and the responsibility for sustainable energy consumption and reduced carbon emissions. Changes made in processes to facilitate sustainability should be viewed as a long-term proposition that rewards with more than just regulatory compliance.

Premium compressors are a great place to start looking for savings because they are remarkably efficient, reduce energy usage, help offset rising electricity costs and can also help companies achieve their internal carbon and emissions reduction targets.

With many tender documents now asking companies to declare their environmental and carbon footprint reduction policies, and then to report on how they are meeting those targets, installing a premium VSD compressor into the correct application will help users achieve both their energy and their emission reduction targets.

Starting out as a mechanical engineer, Dino Alessio is now the National Sales Manager of CAPS Australia. He has more than 20 years’ experience with compressed air applications and is known in the industry for being customer focused - providing the best solutions in terms of reliability, efficiency and low lifetime cost to organisations both large and small.