The British Compressed Air Society (BCAS) is the only UK technical trade association open to manufacturers, distributors and end users of compressors, vacuum pumps, pneumatic tools and allied products.
BCAS recently launched the 10% Taskforce, a call for UK businesses to take simple steps to cut their compressed air energy usage figure by 10 per cent. The campaign has the potential to save a combined £147.5 million in wasted electricity costs, and has ambitious targets to save over 411,000 tonnes of CO2 – the equivalent of taking 317,000 cars off the road.
Compressed air is known as the fourth utility and accounts for as much as 30% of a factory’s energy consumption, so cutting the amount of energy you use brings massive savings. While many manufacturers may think that reducing energy requires significant investment in new equipment, the 10% Taskforce encourages them to look at small, incremental steps to decrease their overall energy consumption.
“At PPS, we have over 30 years of experience in advising our customers with solutions that help them save money and reduce their carbon footprint. The 10% Taskforce aligns with our mission, and we’re looking forward to getting involved with the campaign, providing working examples and practical tips.
“It’s all about the marginal gains – yes, capital investment for machinery upgrades brings energy savings but you have to look at the big picture and change your mindset to see that all the small changes you can make will quickly add up to a big difference. There has never been a more critical time for a campaign to highlight this” commented Matt O’Connor, PPS Operations Director.
A word from Vanda Jones, BCAS Executive Director
“Using figures from the recent UK Energy-related products policy study, conducted by ICF in May 2021, we have calculated the combined energy usage for the mid-point of all industrial compressor technologies over their lifetime at 11.71 TWh. Based on the current UK average non-domestic electrical unit cost of £0.1249/kWh , the figures are substantial – equating to £1.475 billion being spent by UK companies to generate the compressed air their businesses rely on.
“Add to this the fact that over 30 per cent of this energy is being wasted through inefficient practices – equivalent to £485.43 million in wasted electricity spend – and there is much that businesses can do to cut this figure significantly.
“Our new 10% Taskforce is designed to help businesses save money and make a positive difference to the environment. We encourage everyone in the industry to get involved. Alongside a dedicated white paper, which details the energy-saving potential and some of the simple steps that can be implemented, we will also be showcasing some of the best examples of energy-saving compressed air programmes through our website and social media.”
Are you looking to save energy? Here’s where you can start…
Free energy audit - Our free energy audits and site surveys include assessing your existing systems, taking detailed readings and analysing the results to advise you on the optimum solutions. Energy audits often result in major cost and CO2 savings and improve the efficiency of your production.
Leak detection survey - In addition to an energy audit, a leak detection survey is one of the best energy saving measures you can take. Air leaks are one of the major sources of wasted energy in industry . In a typical system, engineers will find around 70 – 100 leaks, representing leak rates of anything from 30% to 60%.
Service & maintenance contract - Investing in an air compressor service contract can help to ensure your system remains efficient, and can help you enjoy 3.5% more production uptime than those without one. We have a range of packages that can be tailored to meet your specific site needs.
More information
Download the BCAS 10% Taskforce dedicated whitepaper >>>