Did you know 70 percent of the cost to run an air compressor is spent on energy? In fact, producing 1 kW of compressed air costs as much as producing 8 kW of electricity.
Clearly, it takes a lot of energy to produce air. In a typical biological wastewater treatment plant, the aeration blower system accounts for up to 70 percent of the total energy consumption. Unfortunately, the electricity bill isn’t broken down into categories, so it can be difficult to realize how much you actually spend on powering an aeration blower or compressed air system.
Because energy consumption is such a large portion of the cost, improving energy efficiency is a good first step on the path to energy savings.
How much could you save?
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Energy Efficiency for Water and Wastewater Utilities website, “Drinking water and wastewater systems account for approximately 3-4 percent of energy use in the United States, adding over 45 million tons of greenhouse gases annually. Further, drinking water and wastewater plants are typically the largest energy consumers of municipal governments, accounting for 30-40 percent of total energy consumed.
“Studies estimate potential savings of 15-30 percent that are readily achievable in water and wastewater plants, with substantial financial returns in the thousands of dollars and within payback periods of only a few months to a few years.”
One way wastewater treatment plants—and other industrial facilities—start saving is by switching to more energy-efficient technology. Atlas Copco’s ZS screw blower is on average 30 percent more efficient than the traditional “Roots” type lobe blower that is typically used in wastewater treatment plants. By simply upgrading to more energy-efficient blowers, the wastewater treatment industry could save millions of dollars annually.
Would you like to learn more about how you could save 30 percent on your energy bill? Contact us or leave a comment below. If you would like to receive regular tips and articles on compressed air topics, subscribe to receive our weekly recap email and join the conversation.
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