Why aren't more small and medium sized manufacturing companies recovering heat from their compressed air systems?Why has it taken us so long to see this practice spread from large companies to smaller ones?The potential for energy savings is obvious.The benefits for the reduction of emissions are clear and the return on investment is high in a short period of time.Everyone talks about energy efficiency and waste reduction, and there is no shortage of reasons.It is estimated that, in the European Union, the industrial sector is responsible for between 20 and 25% of the total energy consumption.If the EU wants to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050, a huge untapped opportunity lies in energy efficiency and waste removal in this sector.Regardless of the usual 'force majeure' excuse, ending energy waste is not only the right thing to do, it's also good business practice, whatever the size of your operations.The solution is in the factories, we could say.In this article, I will try to illustrate the significant benefits of heat recovery systems for small and medium sized manufacturing companies.In a typical oil-injected compressed air system, recoverable heat is theoretically 96% of total electrical energy consumption.These are the heat that is dissipated in the oil cooler (78%) and the aftercooler (13%), and the heat that is emitted by the electric motor (5%).The heat dissipated by the oil cooler can be used to heat water, and the heat from the aftercooler and electric motor can be used for additional space heating.The remaining 4% of the heat cannot be recovered, as 2% is exhausted through the cover and the remaining 2% is dissipated within the cover.There is no one method of heat recovery that works for everyone.Factors such as the location of the air compressor in relation to the process heat, hot water or air system play an important role, but so does the compressor used.Oil-lubricated compressors are by far the most commonly used in industrial applications due to the acceptance of the technology and their reliability.It is estimated that more than 90% of all installed screw air compressors in Europe are oil lubricated.These compressors supply reliable compressed air to a wide variety of industries including automotive, general manufacturing and packaging.To help most industries, the heat recovery system works well in combination with all oil-lubricated air compressors.It is clear that harnessing energy that is wasted is not a new concept.For decades, various sectors have recognized energy savings in cases where the return on a small initial investment was evident.Energy is the most expensive component of the total cost of compressed air.In fact, over the life of a typical compressor, energy typically costs several times more than the purchase price of that compressor.In short: maximizing energy efficiency saves you money.Some of the first to try were large companies in the industrial sector, with operations that include large capacity compressed air systems running 24/7 and activities that require process heating.Among them we find sectors such as food and beverages, pharmaceuticals and textiles.Simply put, the larger the size of the operations, the greater the energy savings.At the same time, some small engineering companies were transforming or creating spin-off companies known as energy service companies (ESCOs).These companies offer a wide range of energy solutions, including the design and implementation of energy saving projects, retrofitting, energy conservation, energy infrastructure outsourcing, power generation and supply, and risk management.However, the implementation of heat recovery systems in small and medium-sized companies has been very limited.The European Commission, in its report 'Recovery of residual heat: improving energy efficiency in transformation industries', pointed out that "the potential for recovering industrial residual heat continues to be wasted due to a series of technical and non-technical obstacles, including them, the need to have effective and profitable technologies to recover the heat that is lost and reuse it, increase its temperature or transform it with a view to its recovery”.[1]As I mentioned earlier, the companies that benefit the most from heat recovery are usually those that also require process heating and have operations that run continuously.We usually see that in these types of companies, heat recovery provides a significant return on investment, even in less than a year, and rarely in less than two.Although not all uses of recovered heat are created equal, other companies can also reap huge benefits.For example, its use during the cold months produces great benefits for costs and carbon emissions.Some companies in the industry have not missed these advantages, and in recent years heat recovery applications for both space heating and water heating for people's comfort (heating facilities) have been increasingly More popular.In these cases, the heat is used as an additional heating source, which, in turn, reduces the use of traditional fossil fuel boilers and therefore reduces heating fuel costs and carbon emissions.When the recovered heat is used to heat water, the efficiency we see is over 85% and goes up to 96% in fully optimized operations.For its part, in space heating (air heating), an efficiency of between 60 and 70% can be achieved.With these results, companies typically enjoy a rapid return on investment, within one to three years.So while there are benefits to be gained regardless of process size, industry, or operational factors, there's still a lot to be gained by recovering and reusing heat from your compressed air system.So why is implementation so slow?In many small and medium-sized businesses, heat recovery has simply not been a priority.Typically, and rightly so, the top priorities are capacity, reliability, energy efficiency, and then heat recovery… way, way behind the rest.At the moment, we contemplate a movement of change in industrial processes.Legislative and political pressures force necessary compromises to achieve energy efficiency.Consumer expectations for sustainable products extend the long arm of traceability and supply chain responsibility to improve efficiency.And lastly and most importantly, knowledge and systems for heat recovery are becoming more widespread and cheaper.The compressed air industry has made great strides in improving the capacity, reliability and energy efficiency of compressed air systems, addressing these priorities for operations of all sizes.And while the pace of innovation continues unabated, ELGi is bringing plug-and-play heat recovery systems to market at very competitive prices.Combined with an increased operational focus on energy audits and system performance compliance with energy management standards (such as ISO 50001), small and medium-sized businesses can reap the benefits of heat recovery with more easily than ever.There are tools and technologies available for companies of all sizes to benefit from heat recovery.A high return on investment means immediate cost savings and, more importantly, carbon emission reductions to help you reduce your company's net carbon footprint.Implementing heat recovery is not only the right thing to do for the future of our planet, it is also good business practice.Small and medium-sized businesses already have the tools and opportunities to stay ahead of any legislative changes, to meet the demands of their customers (and their customers' customers) for improved sustainability, and ultimately to improve their endless streams. productivity goals.In addition to all this potential free energy source, other important aspects must be taken into account.For example, having the right size compressed air installation, including the compressor room itself, as well as its location to the point of use (where the compressed air is needed).Thus, the ultimate goal is to recover heat from a properly sized system that is located as close to the point of use as possible.To help you do just that, you can always rely on a partnership between your energy service company and your local compressed air expert, but if this article isn't as clear as it should be, don't take my word for it.The European Commission has also said: “Improving energy efficiency in industrial processes can lead to substantial primary energy savings, decarbonisation of the energy supply and a consequent reduction in CO2 emissions.Reducing the energy cost will also enable greater competitiveness.”[1] https://cordis.europa.eu/article/id/422033-waste-heat-valorisationThe comments are the opinion of the users and not that of the portal.Insulting, racist or contrary to current laws are not allowed.Comments that are not related to the news/article, or that do not comply with the Legal Notice and the Data Protection Policy, will not be published.Legal Warnings and Basic Information on Personal Data Protection: Responsible 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