Compressed Air Lifetime Costs

When deciding to buy a compressed air system, the initial costs will often be the deciding factor, but don't be fooled the energy costs of running the system might far outweigh the cost at the outset. The energy bill for the first year alone can often equal or surpass the cost of the system. This means that a more efficient system will yield greater savings over time compared to a system with lower initial costs.

The calculator below will help to calculate the efficiency of your compressor system:

Energy Cost Estimation Calculator

The motor nameplate rating (bhp) used by the compressor (industry typically pushes motors 15% higher than the rated value):
(bhp - brake horsepower)
An efficiency estimate of the motor
(%)
Hours of operation per year:
(hours/year)
Energy Cost:
($/kWh) (The average Michigan retail cost for 2006 is .0824)

Annual Electricity Costs = bhp * Hours of operation * Energy Cost * ( 100 / Efficiency )

Annual Electricity Costs:
Potential Efficiency Savings:

Electric Cost Estimation

More accurate cost estimations can be made using electrical measurements of the amps and volts used while under full-load. To find this new cost estimation the following information is needed:

The amps used while fully loaded:
(amps)
The voltage used while fully loaded:
(volts)
Hours of operation per year:
(hours/year)
Energy Cost:
($/kWh) (The average Michigan retail cost for 2006 is .0824)

Annual Electricity Costs = ( ( Amps * Volts * 1.732 *.85 ) / 1000 ) * Hours * Energy Cost

Annual Electricity Costs:
Potential Efficiency Savings:

Additional Energy Calculations

Your compressed air system may not be operating under full load at all times, and as a result, the energy costs of the system may be lower. In order to find a better approximation, we must consider the partial-load operation. To do this, we must find:

The compressor full-load brake horsepower, HP (bhp)
The compressor efficiency, EFF (%)
The percentage of time at a load capacity, T (%) and
The power usage at that load capacity as a percentage of fully loaded power usage, PU (%)
Hours of operation per year, H
Energy Cost, EN (kWh)

Annual Electricity Costs = ( HP * .764hp/kW * ( 100/T ) * H * EN ) * ( T1 * PU1 + T2 * PU2 + ... )
Note: T1 + T2 + ... = 100

Minimize Costs, Maximize Performance

By increasing your system's performance, the energy costs of your system will decrease. To obtain an efficient system, analysis and design of the entire system is necessary. Often, compressed air systems users will ignore these factors in an attempt to save money while facing increased costs in both energy and maintenance. Systems that receive minimal maintenance through numerous modifications can often see savings of 20-50%, which could amount to yearly savings of several thousands of dollars.

Donald Engineering - Experts in Performance

Donald Engineering can help you minimize costs by increasing the efficiency of your compressed air systems. We have fully qualified and trained experts in maintaining a high performance, air systems.

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