When you could be saving a third off your power usage; every air compressor user should know about VSD (variable speed drive) air compressors and how they can bring down the cost of operating a compressed air system.
To understand the potential for a VSD air compressor we should look at the total cost of ownership model for a air compressor over a 10 year period:
15% of the cost is the initial investment in air compressors and compressed air equipment
10% will be ongoing maintenance costs
75% of the total cost is energy consumption (electricity bills)
So lets use this as a basis to look at a case study.
The customer is looking for a 500 c.f.m. silenced air compressor.
After discussing this further and suggesting improvements to the current pipework system a 100 HP compressor is recommended.
Option1 – Standard Rotary Screw Air Compressor – producing 490.8 c.f.m.
Cost – £14,821.80 approx.
Option2 – VSD drive Rotary Screw Air Compressor – producing max 490.8 c.f.m.
Cost – £22,260.00 approx.
Now lets look at the total cost of ownership for option 1 over a ten year period:
Capital Investment – £14,821.80
Maintenance – £9,881.20
Electrical Costs – £74,109.00
Total Cost – £98,812.00
Compare this to option 2 over the same period:
Capital Investment – £22,260.00
Maintenance – £9,881.20
Electrical Costs – £55,581.75
Total Cost – £87,722.95
Thats a total saving of £11,089.05 over a ten year period.
Who would benefit most from a VSD machine?
Customers who have variable demands of air will benefit the most.
Clients who have capital to invest who are keen to save money in the long term.
If you are interested in looking further into the savings a variable speed drive air compressor could bring, have a look at our ABAC Genesis and Formula screw compressors or call our technical team on 01480 217904.
Note: The calculations above use a savings figure of 25% which is perfectly reasonable considering many manufacturers are claiming over 30%.
