Compressed Air System Overview
Compressed air is often called the "fourth utility" in industrial and manufacturing facilities, alongside electricity, natural gas, and water. It powers pneumatic tools, controls instrumentation and valve actuators, conveys materials, provides process air, and serves specialty applications like breathing air for confined space entry and medical air for patient care. Compressed air is expensive energy: generating 1 scfm (standard cubic foot per minute) of compressed air at 100 psig typically costs $0.25-0.35 per hour in electricity, and compressed air systems are frequently among the largest electrical energy consumers in a manufacturing facility, accounting for 20-30% of total electricity usage in some industries.