FAQ: How Can I Increase Energy Efficiency Today?

We all know the phrase, “Never leave that till tomorrow which you can do today.” Whether we actually follow this wisdom is another story.

At the start of the New Year, it’s easy to get caught up in the excitement of a fresh start, but good intentions often fall victim to procrastination after a few months. We put a lot of pressure on ourselves to make huge and immediate changes instead of taking small steps to build our willpower and create good habits. If one of your New Year’s resolutions is to save money by increasing energy efficiency, start small and ease your way into a more efficient 2014.

Here are some small tasks that you can do today to get you moving on the path to energy efficiency:

• Set up a regular maintenance calendar and stick to it. Put a note on your desk or set up a recurring reminder on your cell phone, anything to make sure regular maintenance tasks are being performed. Establish a routine where you “walk the line” to check for leaks in the compressed air system and check out drains and filters to make sure they are in good working order. If you establish the habit of regular check-ups in your facility, you will catch the small issues before they become big problems.
• Identify and eliminate inappropriate uses of compressed air. If an application can be conducted more efficiently by a method other than compressed air, don’t use compressed air. It’s that simple.
• Schedule a compressed air audit for the first quarter of 2014. There are three basic types of audits and the audit you choose to have performed will depend on your budget and what you hope to achieve in terms of energy savings. For a full system audit, typical savings range from 30% to 50% when the audit recommendations are put into practice. The benefits of performing an audit, such as lower energy costs and higher production line efficiency, usually pay for the investment.

Small steps today can help you increase energy efficiency and savings tomorrow. If you would like to learn more about maintenance or energy audits, contact us or leave a comment below.