Tag: energy efficiency

Compressed Air Is Powering the Energy Transition — Not Just Manufacturing

Published on by Jordan T ShouseLeave a comment

A major breakthrough just hit the industry: researchers unveiled the world’s most powerful single-unit compressed air energy storage (CAES) compressor, rated at 101 MW.

  • Achieves ~88% efficiency at max discharge pressure
  • More than doubles the power of prior single-unit CAES compressors
  • Designed to store energy by compressing air for later electricity generation

This positions compressed air not just as a plant utility—but as a grid-scale energy storage solution.

From Shop Air to Grid Power

For decades, compressed air has been known as the “fourth utility” of manufacturing—powering tools, automation, conveying systems, and production lines across nearly every industrial sector.

But today, compressed air is stepping into a much larger role.

Recent breakthroughs in compressed air energy storage (CAES) technology are transforming compressed air from a plant-floor necessity into a grid-scale energy solution. Massive new compressor systems are now capable of storing surplus renewable energy and releasing it back into the electrical grid when demand spikes.

In other words, compressed air isn’t just powering production anymore—it’s helping power the future of energy.

What Is Compressed Air Energy Storage (CAES)?

Compressed Air Energy Storage is a method of storing energy for later use—similar in purpose to batteries, but very different in scale and operation.

Here’s how it works:

  1. Energy Capture
    Excess electricity—often from renewable sources like wind or solar—is used to power large compressors.
  2. Air Compression & Storage
    The compressed air is stored in underground caverns, tanks, or geological formations.
  3. Energy Release
    When electricity demand rises, the stored air is released, heated, and expanded through turbines to generate power.

Why CAES Matters

Renewable energy plays a critical role in the global shift toward sustainability, but it comes with a fundamental challenge: intermittency. Solar power only generates electricity during daylight hours, wind output fluctuates based on weather conditions, and grid demand changes constantly throughout the day. This mismatch between energy production and consumption creates reliability challenges for utilities. Compressed Air Energy Storage (CAES) helps solve this issue by capturing excess energy when supply is high and releasing it when demand spikes. The technology provides long-duration energy storage, supports grid stabilization, helps meet peak demand, and reduces reliance on fossil fuel peaker plants. While lithium-ion batteries currently dominate short-term storage solutions, compressed air stands out for its ability to store massive volumes of energy over longer periods—making it especially well suited for utility-scale applications.

A Breakthrough Moment for Compressed Air

Recent advancements in high-capacity compressors designed specifically for energy storage are pushing the boundaries of what compressed air technology can achieve. These next-generation systems deliver unprecedented compression power, achieve significantly higher efficiency levels, and are engineered to support renewable energy integration at grid scale. By reducing energy loss during compression and discharge cycles, they make large-scale air storage more practical and economically viable than ever before. This innovation marks a turning point for the industry: compressed air is no longer confined to manufacturing facilities—it is now being positioned as a core component of national energy infrastructure planning and the broader transition to renewable power.

Jordan Shouse, CCASS

Application Engineer / Sales Operations Engineer

Send me an email
Find us on the Web 

Schematic of the compressed air energy storage method courtesy of (Image: https://voltatechnique.com/technology/) Creative Commons License

Environmental Impacts: Be Efficient. 

Published on by John BallLeave a comment

Since the establishment of EXAIR in 1983, customer satisfaction has always been the cornerstone of our business model.   This may seem like common practice, but here at EXAIR, we like to go the extra mile.  We have over a 99.9% on-time delivery with thousands of products in stock.  We offer free expert technical help from our Application Engineers, as well as within EXAIR Blog writings and application search library.  We have an Efficiency Lab to report on comparison results with safety and compressed air saving.  We also offer a 30-day unconditional guarantee on our cataloged products for you to try.   So, what more can EXAIR do for you?

Compressors use large amounts of electricity to produce compressed air and are considered the fourth utility in most manufacturing plants.  EXAIR manufactures engineered products that can save compressed air and increase energy savings.  With that, EXAIR was able to partner with Energy Star.  “Energy Star is a government-backed symbol of energy efficiency, helping to save money and to protect the environment through energy-efficient products and practices.” This commitment by EXAIR to reducing energy, increasing safety for workers, and protecting the environment for future generations are effective ways to sustain a business value.

When large amounts of energy can be saved, electricity-producing companies take notice.  Electrical suppliers started a rebate program for using engineered nozzles in their facilities.  Similar to other energy-saving rebates, like LED light bulbs and high-efficiency furnaces, the EXAIR engineered nozzles now fall into that same category.  If your electrical provider supports this program, the total cost to purchase and implement the EXAIR Super Air Nozzles is greatly reduced.  Even if a rebate program has not yet been implemented in your area, the idea of saving energy makes it very practical and environmentally sound.

The NC Clean Energy Technology Center created a website to consolidate all the electrical companies that offer rebates for efficient products and programs.  The website is www.dsireusa.org.  “DSIRE is the most comprehensive source of information on incentives and policies that support renewable and energy efficiency in the United States.”  EXAIR engineered products fall into this category, so if a rebate can be applied to our products, it will be located on that site.

Another energy-saving tip from Energy Star refers to waste from leaks.  They recommend a leak prevention program to help improve energy savings.  As part of that program, EXAIR does offer an Ultrasonic Leak Detector.  To tell a common success story about the Ultrasonic Leak Detector, an EXAIR customer had a 50-horsepower air compressor.  It started to overwork, overheat, and occasionally shut down.  They thought that they would need to buy a larger air compressor to keep the plant running.  In discussing that a company without a leak prevention program could have as much as 30% waste, they decided to purchase an Ultrasonic Leak Detector.  They checked every fitting and connection in the facility.  When they finished checking the compressed air system, they found a total of 91 leaks.  Not only did this save on energy waste, but it also saved money by fixing the leaks and not expanding the capital expenses in the company.

With EXAIR being backed by Energy Star, EPA, and rebate programs, together, we can save energy, improve the environment, and reduce compressed air usage.  If you would like to discuss how EXAIR can work for you, you can contact an EXAIR Application Engineer.

John Ball
Application Engineer
Email: johnball@exair.com
Twitter: @EXAIR_jb

Photo: Lightbulb by TheDigitalArtist.  Pixabay Content License

EXAIR Efficiency Lab at Your Service

Published on by Jordan T ShouseLeave a comment

I couldn’t count the number of times we have written a blog about the EXAIR Efficiency Lab because its that cool, unlike the number of wins the Cincinnati Reds have right now. I can count that on two hand 10………10-26 as of writing this blog and I could go on and on about the pain but I will spare you the tears and write about how amazing the Efficiency lab is for any company that utilizes compressed air!

Is the Mascot signing something? Or hanging his head? We will never Know!

First – what is the EXAIR Efficiency Lab? Well several years ago EXAIR created a free program called the Efficiency Lab.  This program is to compare your current pneumatic blow-off device with an EXAIR engineered product.  The values we compare are air consumption, noise level and force. We generate a detailed report to send to you for review.  It is a free service that EXAIR provides for U.S. and Canadian companies to know more details about solutions you are currently using in your processes.

The EXAIR Efficiency Lab

Why do we offer this?  Air Compressors demand significant electrical power and compressed air is considered to be a fourth utility within plants and industries.  Many people do not realize the cost and safety concerns when using improper blow-off devices.  As an example, if you look at a single 1/8” open pipe for blowing compressed air, it can cost you over $2,000 a year to operate.  This will add to your overhead and cut profits.  Another reason to consider your blow-off device is that compressed air can be dangerous.  With that same 1/8” open pipe, it can violate OSHA standards for noise exposure and dead-end pressure.  In deciding your “vehicle” for blowing compressed air, cheap is not typically best option.  To put it in other terms, a cheap nozzle is like a cheap old car, it’s cheap because it gets 3 MPG with faulty brakes.

With our Efficiency Lab, a comparison it is quite simple to do.  An easy way is to call us and explain the details. These details can be data such as the inside diameter and length of a an open tube you are using, or the actual performance data of a cheap air nozzle you have chosen to use. Perhaps the easiest way to make the comparison is to let EXAIR do it – send in your blowoff product or a sample of the tube, nozzle, modified fitting, etc. We will then put them through our testing process. You can also fill out our Product Efficiency Survey on our website to give the conditions for testing. 

We will run the tests at the specified conditions or in a range of settings.  We will then return your pneumatic device back to you at our cost with a detailed report of the comparison.  Your information will be confidential, and we will not share it without your permission.  We will also provide a simple ROI – many customers like to use this report to show managers, executives, HSE, etc. on the improvements that EXAIR can provide including cost savings and safety.

How do we do the Efficiency Lab?  We use calibrated equipment and standardized procedures to test for noise levels, flow usage, and force measurements.  We will recommend an EXAIR engineered solution as a replacement to your current device to do the comparison.  With the analytical information, we can also figure the total amount of air savings, return on investment, payback period and safety improvements.

Don’t Swing and miss…. (Like the Reds)  You do not want to sacrifice safety, time, and money with a sub-standard product.  Let EXAIR solve this dilemma with our free service; the Efficiency Lab.  Take advantage of our expertise by using the Efficiency Lab service, we will provide you a detailed report with a comparison analysis to make a great choice. 

Jordan Shouse
Application Engineer

Send me an Email
Find us on the Web 
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Twitter: @EXAIR_JS

Reds Image Provided by IndyDina with Mr. Wonderful via Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0)

Focusing to be a Good Corporate Steward

Published on by exaircorpLeave a comment

Every April, EXAIR takes the time to revisit our sustainability plan and the responsibility we have to be good stewards of our resources and to minimize our impact on the environment. It remains interesting how intertwined our internal processes are with the world around us, and we like to pay attention to this.

We realize that what we do as a company can directly impact others and our environment. We have reduced our consumption of resources, increased our recycling efforts and incorporated practices and standards into our product development, manufacturing and fulfillment processes that are beneficial to the environment. Our action plan significantly improves our operations, practices, facility and products. Here are some of the steps we’ve taken:

Compressed Air

  • Consumption reduced through a leak detection and mitigation program that saved one million cubic feet of compressed air per year.
  • Utilizing our own engineered compressed air nozzles throughout the plant minimizes compressed air use compared to commercial nozzles.

Metals

  • We recycle 100% of the metal scrap from our machining processes. The materials we recycle are aluminum, Type 303 and Type 316 stainless steel. 

Electrical Power

  • Our VSD (variable speed drive) air compressor reduced our electrical consumption by over 4,500 kWh in the past year compared to a conventional air compressor.
  • Consumption reduced through increased use of natural light, higher efficiency fluorescent fixtures and LED technology.
  • EXAIR continues to make improvements to the efficiency of our computers and computer servers which require fewer Kilowatt hours (KWH) per day.

Fossil Fuels

  • EXAIR delivers 91% of our invoices electronically which has eliminated those traditional postal service mailed copies.
  • We focus on local and regional vendors whenever possible, which reduces delivery distances and fuel.

       Paper/Cardboard

  • Electronic delivery of invoices allowed 67% reduction in printed pages.
  • Most shipments use recycled Kraft paper with a perfect “green score” of 360.
  • Recycled 100% of our cardboard and mixed paper products. Of the waste we place into our trash dumpsters – 80% is recycled and 20% is sent to the landfill.
  • Over the past year, EXAIR recycled 416 cubic yards of paper and cardboard.

Fresh Water

  • We use our very own Chip Trapper Systems in our manufacturing areas to extend the water-soluble coolant life from 6 weeks per changeover to 6 months per changeover. Keeping our coolant clean allows us to minimize the total amount of wastewater we recycle each year.
  • Our wastewater is 100% recycled

Natural Gas

  • Consumption reduced by installing programmable thermostats wherever possible to match heating/cooling cycles with facility usage patterns.

Through an expanded recycling program, we are able to 100% recycle our metal scrap, paper and cardboard, wastewater, wood and plastics.

The impact our products make is also notable:

  • EXAIR blow off products designed specifically to reduce compressed air consumption energy usage
  • A new tool developed as part of our coolant management system now available to customers
  • Packaging materials used by EXAIR are fully recyclable
  • Most EXAIR products themselves are largely or fully recyclable at the end of their useful lives
  • RoHS compliance on applicable products insures that, should these products end up in a landfill at the end of their useful lives, they will not contaminate the environment with unacceptable levels of lead, mercury, hexavalent chromium, PBB, PBDE or cadmium.

We will remain focused on our impact and make improvements through new materials, products, processes and technologies when we have the opportunity for continued improvement.

Enjoy today, the day where we recognize how precious the planet is. Join EXAIR and some of the largest and most notable companies on earth by practicing some of these improvements and using EXAIR Intelligent Compressed Air® products.

Sincerely,
The EXAIR Team
www.EXAIR.com