The Visible Cost of Air: A Worksheet to Assist in Identifying Compressed Air Saving Opportunities

              The Visible Cost of Air
A Worksheet to Assist in Identifying Compressed Air Saving Opportunities
WMRC
Fact Sheet
TN07-087
April 2007
Overview
Can you see air? Not usually, but you can see the visible impact air has on your company’s “bottom-line.” Compressed air costs your company real money, usually a substantial amount of money. Compressed air is often taken for granted as a necessary cost, and is often abused and wasted. Its cost flows into the nebulous pot called, “overhead.” Because of this, it tends to get squandered and misused.
There is a wealth of handbooks and “how-to” publications available on the market. However the reader may need a PhD in engineering to decipher the mountains of calculations and constants. This Fact Sheet is different in its approach and methodology. It will provide general, practical rule-of-thumb applications and recommendations. It will provide the user a simple worksheet to assist in identifying areas of opportunity that may exist at one’s own facility. Once realizing this, the user may then seek additional assistance from a professional air management service provider who will assess the system and recommend equipment and determine costs.
Air Survey
List each compressor’s horsepower: ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____
(EXAMPLE 2-50HP AND 1-25HP)
Cost of Compressed Air Calculation- 2 items needed
a. Average cost per kWh
b. Calculation of total annual compressor operating hours
a. $0.___ b. ______Total Annual Hours
(Example $0.06/kWh) (24hrs x 7days = 8,760 hours/year)
Calculation:
Qty. HP x 0.746 /0.9 x Cost per kWh x Total Annual Hours = $Annual Cost
Example from above: 125HP x 0.746 /0.9 x.$0.06 x 8,760 = $54,458 per year
Work Area
__________ x 0.746/0.9 x __________ x __________= $__________
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WMRC is a Division of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources