Calculator

Compressed air savings calculator

Compressed air is the priciest utility per unit of work in most factories. Enter horsepower, load factor and leak rate to price what is escaping.

What it asks for: compressor hp · load factor · motor efficiency · leak share · $/kWh · running hours.

Run the numbers

What compressed-air leaks cost

Published leakage estimates range from 20 to 30% of compressor output. Use your compressor details and electricity rate to estimate the cost of that leakage.

nameplate horsepower, the motor’s rated shaft output
per cent of nameplate shaft power it actually makes
per cent, from the motor nameplate; 90% is the conservative default
per cent of output lost to leaks; the published range is 20–30%
dollars per kWh, from your own bill
hours a year the compressor runs

Enable JavaScript to calculate with your inputs. The figures shown use the example values. You can also email your figures to for help.

What it costs you

$9,549/yr

  • 79,573kWh a year, wasted
  • 13.3kW of electrical draw doing no work
  • 66.3kW drawn at the meter
Annual cost of compressed-air leakage
YOUR NUMBERS10% leak: 4,774 $/yr20% leak: 9,549 $/yr25% leak: 11,936 $/yr30% leak: 14,323 $/yr4,7749,54911,93614,323
YOUR INPUTS · YOUR RATES · CANADIAN DOLLARS

Estimate based on the inputs and rates shown.

The assumptions behind this
  • Horsepower conversion · 0.746 kW/hpPhysical constant. Note that it converts nameplate horsepower to SHAFT kW, not to the electrical kW a meter bills; see air.motorEfficiency.
  • Motor efficiency · 0.9 fraction (shaft kW ÷ electrical kW)US DOE Uniform Methods Project, Chapter 22, Compressed Air Evaluation Protocol: electrical input power is shaft power divided by motor efficiency, and a measured or nameplate PACKAGE full-load kW is preferred over any hp-based estimate. NEMA Premium motors in the 50–200 hp band run about 0.93–0.95 at full load and lower at part load, so 0.90 is the conservative default until a nameplate or a measured package kW is supplied. energy.gov/sites/prod/files/2015/01/f19/UMPChapter22-compressed-air-evaluation.pdf
  • Compressed-air leak share · 0.2–0.3 fraction of outputUS DOE / Compressed Air Challenge leakage studies, as cited in Quantify's own concept footnote.
  • Example compressor running hours · 6000 h/yearQuantify example operating hours.
  • Electricity rate · 0.12 $/kWhExample electricity rate used by Quantify: $0.12/kWh. Enter the rate from your own bill.

Where these numbers come from

Every constant, its value, and the document it was read out of.

  • Horsepower conversion · 0.746 kW/hpPhysical constant. Note that it converts nameplate horsepower to SHAFT kW, not to the electrical kW a meter bills; see air.motorEfficiency.
  • Motor efficiency · 0.9 fraction (shaft kW ÷ electrical kW)US DOE Uniform Methods Project, Chapter 22, Compressed Air Evaluation Protocol: electrical input power is shaft power divided by motor efficiency, and a measured or nameplate PACKAGE full-load kW is preferred over any hp-based estimate. NEMA Premium motors in the 50–200 hp band run about 0.93–0.95 at full load and lower at part load, so 0.90 is the conservative default until a nameplate or a measured package kW is supplied. energy.gov/sites/prod/files/2015/01/f19/UMPChapter22-compressed-air-evaluation.pdf
  • Compressed-air leak share · 0.2–0.3 fraction of outputUS DOE / Compressed Air Challenge leakage studies, as cited in Quantify's own concept footnote.
  • Example compressor running hours · 6000 h/yearQuantify example operating hours.
  • Electricity rate · 0.12 $/kWhExample electricity rate used by Quantify: $0.12/kWh. Enter the rate from your own bill.

Measure the use behind the estimate.

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