Comparing efficiency: Internet-based benchmarking for compressed air systems

Many studies in the EU and the US have revealed the large potential for energy saving in compressed air systems. However, this potential is often not taken seriously by industry, as managers often feel that they are able to maintain and operate their system efficiently. The high entry price for measurement-based analysis of compressed air systems, together with the lack of information on benchmarking values, represent a strong barrier to optimizing compressed air systems. The Internet-based compressed air benchmarking system developed within the German compressed air campaign "Druckluft effizient" has recently successfully removed this barrier by allowing consumers to perform rudimentary analysis using simple measurements they can gather themselves. The paper will explain the set-up of the system and the indicators chosen for comparison. The paper presents initial benchmarking results for a participating company which show how the information from the benchmarking can b e used to improve the compressed air system. At the time the paper was written, about 100 companies in Germany were already taking part in the benchmarking. In the near future the system will be extended to include other languages and currencies.