Why small firms should apply ISO 11011 to air compressors

are a small firm, you might not think ISO 11011 for the assessment of energy efficiency of air compressors applies to you, but you might be missing out on the opportunity to make substantial cost savings. Under the EU Energy Saving Opportunities Scheme, you are only obliged to assess your energy efficiency if you have more than 250 employees, turnover of more than €50 million or a balance sheet of more than €43 million. But smaller firms who fall below this threshold could stand to benefit from carrying out energy efficiency assessments using ISO 11011 to identify possibly efficiency gains and cost savings in air compressor systems. BCAS, which advised on the production of ISO 11011, said earlier this year: “Compressed air systems can typically cost you around 10% of your annual electricity bills, so it is an area that demands your focus. “Can you honestly say what the annual running cost of your compressed air system is? How much energy does it waste through leakage? Or whether the plant or equipment is fit for purpose?” Some firms may have been put off from carrying out efficiency tests due to the lack of standardised assessment and reporting in the past. But under ISO 11011, the results are much more comparable between multiple tests, and can be used much more consistently to identify efficiency gains that may be made through refurbishment or replacement of air compressors. The assessment focuses on three different aspects of your compressed air infrastructure, beginning with the supply from your air compressors themselves. Following on from this, the distribution of this compressed air around your premises is the second area of focus, with a third focus on demand, including end-users who make productive use of the compressed air supply, and also any areas of waste or leakage.

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