Mattei urges specifiers to improve energy efficiency 22 April 2013

Compressor manufacturer Mattei is urging plant engineers and managers to seek advice from air specialists to ensure that compressor installations are as energy-efficient as possible.

"With energy prices remaining volatile and carbon reduction targets critical, energy efficiency is a top priority for manufacturers," comments Mattei general manager Andy Jones.

"However, not all businesses realise that compressors can have a big impact on their utility bills and carbon emissions," he continues. "Some businesses have a misconception that compressed air is free, once they have invested in the equipment, but the main cost will always be the energy required to produce the compressed air."

Jones worries that this is frequently overlooked during the specification process, because "very often the person responsible for specifying the machine is not a compressor specialist".

"Time and time again we see purchasing decisions being made not on requirements, but on a like-for-like replacement basis, or on the recommendation of a general consultant who is not experienced in compressor technology," he insists.

"And because the purchaser believes they already know what they need, we often find specifications being written incorrectly. Sometimes, this is based around a specific manufacturer's compressor, or what is already in place."

Jones urges plant engineers to remember that replacing like-for-like doesn't mean the new compressor will automatically be right for the application.

"It could be that a business has had an inefficient system for some time, either because of process or production changes or simply because it was wrongly specified in the first place," he explains.

"We recently found that one company running a 75kW compressor could actually fulfil its compressed air requirements with a 45kW machine, with estimated savings being in the region of £10,000 a year.

"We also see variable-speed compressors being purchased when fixed-speed machines would be more appropriate – and costly 'oil-free' and 'class zero' air being specified without legitimate reason."

Brian Tinham

Related Companies
Mattei Compressors Ltd

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