CTRL Systems Energy Savings Program

CTRL Systems Energy Savings Program

The U.S. Department of Energy has found that commercial air compressors use as much as 10% of all electricity generated in the United States each year. Those same studies show that as much as half of that generated air is wasted. Power accounts for 70% of compressed air operating costs. When you consider that just one 100hp compressor consumes 100,000 kWh in electricity per year*, it becomes clear how much your facility stands to gain by improving compressed air system efficiency.**

*Based on full-time operation at the average cost for industrial electricity of $0.06/kWh.

Our conditioned based Energy Savings Program (ESP) provides an easy-to-install monitoring system – WattsCTRL – which measures your current compressed air usage on an ongoing, real-time basis with historical data-keeping. CTRL will work with your personnel to establish an initial base line of your energy usage, and then train your team to quickly locate and flag leaks in your facility with the CTRL UL- 101 Ultrasonic Leak Detector. After confirming repair of the leaks, WattsCTRL will compare previous and current energy usage and report the achieved savings – in hard data, not an educated guesstimate.

Any energy savings initiative requires sustainability to be truly effective. With this in mind, WattsCTRL will set thresholds for energy consumption. When these thresholds are crossed, the necessary personnel will be automatically notified that leak detection and repairs are needed to sustain ongoing energy savings. Through this entirely turnkey process, you will see meaningful improvements to your company’s bottom line – and the savings will be measurable in months, not years.

The Energy Savings Program

Site Survey

CTRL Systems, Inc. will provide a Preliminary Facilities Information worksheet which can be filled out by your facility’s personnel. This information will be used to estimate the initial quotation and return on investment, as well as to customize the program to your facility’s individual layout and needs.

Utility Incentives

We will work with your facility to investigate whether your energy provider offers any incentives for sustainable energy savings projects. If incentives are available, CTRL will complete the required application paperwork on behalf of your facility. Available incentives can drastically reduce the already-low overall cost of ESP, cutting months off of your company’s estimated Return on Investment.

Installation of the ESP Monitoring Equipment

After the initial Purchase Order is received (in conjunction with any incentive-related requirements set forth by your energy provider), CTRL will coordinate the installation of WattsCTRL and all related ESP equipment with the designated facility personnel. Typically, CTRL will schedule the installation of ESP several weeks after the Purchase Order is received. This allows lead time for our operations department to procure and organize the necessary equipment for your facility’s unique installation. It also allows for facility personnel to make any necessary arrangements in advance of CTRL’s arrival on site. Once CTRL arrives at your facility, we will oversee the installation and train your personnel, typically over the course of 3-4 days.

Training & Initial Monitoring

CTRL will conduct a comprehensive training session to familiarize up to ten members of the facility personnel with both ESP and ultrasonic leak detection. This training will be demonstrative, site specific, and hands-on. Each attendee will learn usage and techniques of the UL-101 and achieve certification for the course.

Once WattsCTRL has been successfully installed and the personnel have been trained, CTRL will set up software parameters according to your facility’s unique compressed air system configuration and your energy provider’s cost per kWh. WattsCTRL will then monitor your compressed air system in real time during a predetermined period of normal facility operation – typically a period of 7-14 days. This data will establish an initial baseline for usage and cost. This time is best utilized if facility personnel can begin their leak detection and tagging in preparation for repair.

Leak Detection & Repair with the UL101

The leak detection survey (or audit) utilizes the UL-101 to locate, tag, repair, and confirm repairs of all of the leaks within your facility. The full participation of your facility personnel (or contracted specialists) is crucial to the survey process, and it is imperative that the task is completed in a timely manner. The leak detection survey may commence at any time during initial monitoring of the compressed air system, but repairs cannot be made until after the initial monitoring cycle is complete and the initial baseline has been recorded. Any repairs made during the initial monitoring period will corrupt the collected data that is necessary to prove out the energy savings that ESP will achieve.

After the initial monitoring period is complete, repairs can be completed. While making repairs, use the UL101 to verify that repairs are indeed complete. This is the last step in the integration process, and it is crucial to the success of ESP. It is CTRL’s strong recommendation that the largest leaks are repaired first, as these will yield the greatest return on efficiency and reduction of energy costs.

Post-Audit Monitoring, Setting Thresholds & Sustainability

After repairs are completed, CTRL will conduct a second monitoring of compressed air use over the same predetermined length of time as the initial monitoring. The data collected will be compared to initial monitoring values to determine changes in electrical usage and cost savings. It is important to note that initial monitoring and post repair monitoring of compressed air usage should be conducted at the same facility operating tempo, and in the same configuration. This allows for a more accurate end report. After this second monitoring period is complete, CTRL will assist in setting realistic kWh thresholds. When this threshold is exceeded, WattsCTRL will automatically notify the required personnel that attention is needed. This notification system allows for something that no other leak survey program can boast: it is triggered by actual data – not a maintenance calendar – and is truly condition-based.

What sets the CTRL Energy Savings Program apart from the typical leak audit process is its sustainability. ESP is a turnkey system that will remain in place and continually monitor your compressed air system for the rest of its operational life. In addition to the energy reduction that ESP will achieve, the program will also save valuable dollars, time, and resources, for the maintenance department at your facility.

In addition to the savings achieved through a comprehensive leak survey program, the valuable real-time data collected by WattsCTRL can be used to accurately set controls for your system going forward. At most facilities, this information will result in more efficient compressor sequencing, cost justification for the purchase of more efficient equipment, and more accurate system controls.