Ways to reduce the cost of compressing air
Read more on air treatment in this comprehensive guide!
Things to consider before you buy a compressor
Things to consider when operating your compressor
Things to consider when choosing your compressed air partner
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How much does a compressor cost? This is not a trick question, and if you answered “the number that is on the price tag” or “whatever a salesperson quotes me,” then you are somewhat right. That amount is what you have to pay to buy a compressor.
However, there is a big difference between buying a compressor and owning and operating it. For the former, you really only need to pay what is on the price tag. For the latter, there are many other factors that must be taken into account, such as the initial purchase price but also things like maintenance and energy costs.
This is known as the total cost of ownership, or TCO.
Sometimes, the investment in a piece of equipment is responsible for most of this cost of ownership. For example, when you buy a nice TV, you won’t end up spending a lot on maintenance or the energy it consumes.
In the case of compressors, it’s the opposite. Here, the initial purchase makes up only a tiny part of the total cost of ownership. That’s because it takes a lot of energy to compress air. As a result, energy costs are responsible for the bulk of a compressor’s TCO – up to 80%, depending on the model.
That last part is really important. What it means is that any operation that tries to save in the wrong place will end up paying a steep price later on. Specifically, you can spend a little bit less on a cheap, inefficient and not-so-reliable compressor on Day 1, but from then on forward, you are going to pay more for energy and maintenance. And, because energy plays such a huge role in the TCO, that is a losing proposition virtually every time.
Therefore, one of the best decisions you can make when designing your compressed air system is to invest in an efficient compressor that lowers your energy consumption.
And that is just one of the things you can do to minimize your total cost of ownership.
In this eBook, we will detail all of the ways in which you can keep costs down – and there are many of them.
Broadly, these can be divided into three categories (although there is some overlap):
As you will see, there is a potential for savings every step of the way. And these savings not only give you a competitive edge, they also allow you to do your part for a greener environment and greater sustainability.
