Energy Savings Assessments and Audits

Scales Industrial Technologies, an Allied Partner of the US Department of Energy can provide answers and much more with our Compressed Air System Assessments and Audits. We’ve been conducting compressed air assessments and audits for industrial plants since 1972 and have helped thousands of manufacturers save considerable energy, improve the functionality and reliability of their compressed air systems, improve their processes, and most of all improve their bottom line. Scales Industrial Technologies has performed full compressed air audits and assessments throughout the United States, Canada, Central and South America, Europe, Australia and throughout Asia. As part of our audits and assessments we will work with you to identify inappropriate compressed air usage and wastes on the demand side and inefficiencies on the supply side. With this data we will develop a specific action plan for your operation to reduce energy costs, improve reliability and help make your facility “green”!

If we can’t save you the cost of the assessment or audit through energy savings, there will be no fee for the expert’s time. Please call us for details.

Click here for a brochure on our energy savings assessments and audits.

Click here to see what we did for the Ford Van Dyke Transmission Plant, or here to see what we did for Summit Manufacturing.

Compressed Air System Assessments and Audits:

Depending on your plant’s requirements, our experienced compressed air system experts will tailor the program to suit your requirements. Compressed air is a very expensive utility, but we can help you to immediately lower the costs, improve system reliability and realize long term savings.
There are generally two levels of analysis:

  • Basic assessment
  • Comprehensive audit

Basic Compressed Air System Assessment

Conducting a basic assessment is the first step in analyzing a compressed air system. Depending on the complexity of the system, a basic system assessment can be performed by one of our experienced compressed air system efficiency experts. Using readily available data combined with limited measurements, we will identify system inefficiencies and make recommendations that will result in reductions in energy costs. Production downtime and maintenance costs also may be reduced. A basic system assessment of the facility could reveal:

  • Air compressor control problems
  • The annual cost of operating your compressed air system
  • Potentially inappropriate uses of compressed air
  • Significant leaks
  • Processes, or individual end-uses most sensitive to low pressure and air pressure instability
  • High volume and intermittent uses
  • Maintenance and reliability issues

A basic assessment is not intended to provide the level of detail found in a comprehensive audit, but significant reductions in energy (25 percent or more) and lower maintenance costs frequently have resulted from a basic assessment alone. Once initial opportunities have been identified, you can decide whether additional analysis services are required to further define system dynamics and corresponding system improvement opportunities. This decision will depend, in part, on the size and complexity of the system being examined (both supply and demand), and whether critical issues that surfaced during the evaluation will require further investigation to identify their causes and potential remedies.

Comprehensive Compressed Air System Audit

A comprehensive system audit is the top level of system analysis, conducted by one of Scales Industrial Technologies experienced compressed air system auditors. It is a detailed analysis of your entire compressed air system and may have been preceded by a basic system assessment. Measurements and data logging generally are part of the comprehensive compressed air system audit procedures. This level of analysis generally is more applicable to systems over 200 hp. Your specific objectives and system problems will be discussed prior to the start of the audit and the proposed procedures also will be explained. The objective is proper management of the complete compressed air system for optimum efficiency and reliability. This includes alignment of the supply side (compressors, their controls, aftercoolers, dryers, filters, primary air receivers) with the demand side (distribution piping system, secondary air receivers, all of the end-uses of compressed air, including leaks), in conjunction with the needs and financial objectives of your company. During the audit, we will work with you to accomplish the following:

  • Draw a block diagram and review the compressor room to determine present compressor operations, control strategy, and storage capacity.
  • Establish a baseline, against which the results of any proposed changes are measured.
  • Record compressor and dryer pressures and temperatures.
  • Validate end-use pressure and quality requirements.
  • Conduct data logging of readings of power and pressure (and flow, if applicable) throughout the system for a more in-depth analysis of the dynamics of the system and resulting problems. Provide graphs showing data collected over time.
  • Construct a demand profile to identify significant end-uses and their impact.
  • Construct a pressure profile to identify what determines the system operating pressure and to identify possible changes.
  • Review primary and secondary air receiver capacities and their impact on the system.
  • Establish a controls strategy to reduce energy consumption through real-time analysis.
  • Identify the best approach to air leak detection and repair and make recommendations for improvement.
  • Review differences in shift operations and the impact on air consumption and energy costs.
  • Identify compressed air end-uses which may be better served by other means and recommend suitable alternatives.
  • Compare air quality provided for each end-use with what is really needed and provide appropriate recommendation(s).
  • Review maintenance procedures and training.
  • Review initial verbal proposals with all who attended a pre-audit meeting, to obtain buy-in from all departments involved.
  • Provide a comprehensive written report of all findings, recommendations, and results.

There are many low cost alternatives to compressed air to accomplish a given task. We’re experts in the proper application of compressed air and we have many remediation techniques in our toolbox to help you save money!

Complete Solutions – An Action Plan to Save Energy and Go Green!

Based on the results of the assessment or comprehensive audit, Scales will develop an action plan and help you design and implement a solution that will reduce your plant’s energy consumption and increase the reliability of your compressed air system. The plan will provide long-term solutions to align the compressor supply using efficient control methods to meet production’s air demands at the lowest input power…. and develop a maintenance program to keep it that way!

Again, if we can’t save you the cost of the assessment in energy savings, there will be no fee for the expert’s time. Please call for details.

Individual services our Scales Energy Services Division can provide include:

  • Flow Monitoring

    Scales will supply and install a mass flow meter sensor in the compressed air piping system in your facility. The probe is hot tapped and safely installed without shutting your plant down. The information collected from the sensor will be used to determine the compressed air being consumed by the plant. A data logger will take a snapshot of the sensor and average its output in seconds or minutes, 24 hours a day, and usually for one or two weeks. Using our comprehensive software, we will then analyze the data and provide a report that will include peak, minimum and average daily flow rates for each day of the week or production period.

  • Power Monitoring

    Watt transducers and kW loggers can be installed to monitor and record the power and energy consumed by each air compressor and other components of the system. We will include this information in our report to show you the power versus the air demand to help establish an efficient operating baseline. You’ll be surprised at some of the results!

  • Pressure Monitoring

    Pressure transducers are installed to monitor and record the pressure maintained in the plant air system, problem areas, and at various places on the plant floor to help identify transmission losses and demand side inefficiencies. We will include this data in a report to show how plant pressure relates to air demand and overall compressed air system efficiency.

  • Leak Detection

    Full service leak detection and repair surveys are available for any size plant air system. Our energy engineering group provides an extensive leak detection program that will locate, detail and tag leaks. You will receive a comprehensive report that includes leak locations, estimated consumption and an estimated cost of repair. The energy waste associated with the air leaks and a payback analysis will also be calculated. In addition we can provide the services to repair the leaks, allowing you to reap the savings and keep your plant running as efficiently as possible.

  • Finding Inappropriate Uses of Compressed Air

    Compressed air is an expensive form of energy, but because it is clean and simple-to-use, it is often chosen for many applications even though other energy sources may be more economical. Potentially inappropriate uses of compressed air include applications such as open blowing, atomizing, padding, dilute and dense phase transport, and open blow guns. Scales will identify these applications and work with your production staff to find more economical solutions, such as applying blowers, air knives, and energy efficient nozzles.

We guarantee your satisfaction! Start saving by calling us today!

Click here for a brochure on our energy savings assessments and audits.

Click here to see what we did for the Ford Van Dyke Transmission Plant, or here to see what we did for Summit Manufacturing.