Improving air compressor efficiency for Suffolk business

New air compressor installation in Ipswich

Avelair has recently installed four variable speed air compressors at a Suffolk based business to improve efficiencies and reduce their environmental impact.

Ancient House Printing Group, based in Ipswich, Suffolk, is one of the UK’s most established and experienced web and sheet-fed printers. They are committed to minimising the environmental impact their business makes and have achieved ISO 14001 Environmental Management accreditation. This accreditation has enabled them to reduce the risk of pollution, to recycle where possible and continually improve their environmental performance.

Part of their environmental initiative was to review the efficiency of their existing air compressors on the Suffolk site. They asked Alex De-Moore from Avelair Compressed Air Solutions based in Suffolk to work with them to analyse their existing use to see how they could increase their efficiency and reduce their environmental impact.

The latest Avelair compressor data logging system was used to analyse the on-site air compressor consumption, pressure and status of the air compressors over the monitoring period. Having calculated their window of efficiencies and the variable air compressor demand during the working week and lower air compressor demand over the weekend, it was decided that three Avelair Variable Speed 45kW rotary screw air compressors and one smaller Avelair Variable Speed 15kW rotary screw air compressor was the most efficient way forward.

Variable speed air compressors in Suffolk

The Avelair VSD air compressors, which are designed and manufactured locally in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, use inverter technology to reduce the motor speed in response to air demand, thus reducing energy consumption. An air compressor management control system was installed and commissioned to intelligently control the air compressors and reduce the system pressure.

An Energy Efficiency Grant was obtained through Business Energy Efficiency East Anglia to support the project. The project was successfully implemented and carbon emissions were significantly reduced by over 25%.

Paul Sadler, Operations Director, for Ancient House Printing Group commented “This is a significant investment that will give us greater reserves of air for future expansion of our operations.

“Also, the energy saving statistics outlined by Avelair will help us to fulfil our obligations under ISO 14001 – 2015 and our continuing support of the environment.”