A simple energy assessment helped ER Wagner find a way to save $25,000 a year. The Menomonee Falls-based company is a metal fabricator. Employees there have been creating high-quality casters and wheels, hinges and stampings, and machined and wrapped tubes for more than 100 years.
Earlier this year, the We Energies Energy Efficiency Services (EES) team recommended the company reduce the pressure of its compressed air systems. Advisers used a common rule-of-thumb of 1% energy savings for each two pounds per square inch (psi) of pressure reduced. Reducing pressure by just 2 psi would save an estimated 5,000 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of energy and $560 annually. The pressure at ER Wagner was set at 125 psi. Using a series of small adjustments over the course of a week, that pressure setting was reduced to 100 psi. The equipment was monitored and continued to work successfully at the lower setting.
EES provided a data logger to measure energy consumption. ER Wagner’s compressor was averaging daily energy use of 1,710 kWh, costing $70,500 a year. The change will bring them down to 1,100 kWh, costing roughly $45,000 a year, a savings of more than $25,000.
Request to be contacted by an energy adviser to learn more about energy audits and potential Focus on Energy incentives. Your energy advisor can also provide a targeted set of energy-efficiency recommendations for your business with a 10-15 minute phone call.
