Compressed air is widely used throughout manufacturing industries and is often considered the “fourth utility” at many facilities. Almost every industrial plant, from a small machine shop to an immense pulp and paper mill, has some type of compressed air system. Applying best energy management practices and purchasing energy-efficient equipment can lead to significant savings in compressed air systems.
Basic Learning Materials
If you are new to compressed air systems or are unsure of how efficient your system is, a great place to start is familiarizing yourself with compressed air system basics and checking if you have already implemented the most basic energy saving measures in your compressed air system.
Where To Start
The Compressed Air System Info Card contains a brief summary of the top energy saving measures you can implement in your plant.
The Improving Compressed Air System Performance Sourcebook contains a more detailed explanation of compressed air systems.
Courses and Videos
For a more detailed learning experience, check out the eLearning and video courses available online.
Compressed Air Systems I
Author: Schneider Electric
An online course covering compressed air basics
Compressed Air Systems II
Author: Schneider Electric
An online course covering types of compressors
Compressed Air Systems III
Author: Schneider Electric
An online course covering compressed air control systems
Compressed Air Systems IV
Author: Schneider Electric
An online course covering supply-side best practices
Compressed Air Systems V
Author: Schneider Electric
An online course covering efficient system management
Compressed Air Systems VI
Author: Schneider Electric
An online course covering steps to better efficiency
IAC 101 Compressed Air – Demand
Author: Industrial Assessment Centers
20 minute video describing compressed air demand-side basics
IAC 101 Compressed Air – Demand
Author: Industrial Assessment Centers
25 minute video describing compressed air supply-side basics
Tools and Calculators
There are many resources available to help you calculate specific costs and savings for your plant. Some of these tools, calculators, and software are listed below.
CAGI Archive
Author: Gulf Coast Center of Excellence
A searchable repository of information from over 4,000 CAGI sheets
MEASUR Bleed Test Calculator
Author: U.S. Department of Energy
A calculator for calculating results of a system bleed test
MEASUR Compressed Air Leak Survey
Author: U.S. Department of Energy
A software used for tracking compressed air system leaks
MEASUR Compressed Air Pressure Reduction
Author: U.S. Department of Energy
A calculator tool for compressed air pressure reduction
MEASUR Compressed Air System Assessment
Author: U.S. Department of Energy
Tool used to run a full assessment of compressed air systems
MEASUR Leak Loss Estimator
Author: U.S. Department of Energy
A calculator and instructions for leak loss using the bag method
MEASUR Receiver Tank Sizing
Author: U.S. Department of Energy
A calculator used to find the proper capacity of receiver tanks
MEASUR System Capacity Calculator
Author: U.S. Department of Energy
A calculator used to determine compressed air system capacity
These and other resources can be found on the Resource Library page.