Most production facilities rely on compressed air and gas to complete essential tasks across the plant. The compressed air system is typically designed when the facility is first built and often includes multiple electrically powered compressors. The energy consumed by these compressors is often one of the largest operational energy costs in the facility.
To keep equipment pressurized, compressors must deliver air through a vast network of hoses, connectors, regulators, and valves. With so many potential leak points, it’s common for facilities to lose a high percentage of compressed air through leaks, wasting both energy and money. As leaks grow, costly measures like adding more compressors or over-pressurizing the system can further reduce efficiency and increase energy intensity.
Energy Efficiency vs. Energy Intensity
Understanding the relationship between energy efficiency and energy intensity is key to tracking and improving plant performance under ISO 50001.
- Energy efficiency is about using the energy you have more wisely, producing the same output with less input.
- Energy intensity measures the amount of energy used per unit of output (e.g., kWh per product).
The two are inversely related: as efficiency increases, intensity decreases. In a well-managed compressed air system, improving leak control raises efficiency and lowers intensity, directly impacting cost savings.
ISO 50001 and Energy Management
ISO 50001 offers a globally recognized, structured approach to managing energy performance. By integrating leak detection and compressed air system optimization into your energy management system, you align with the standard’s continual improvement cycle while uncovering new cost-saving opportunities. This makes leak detection not just a maintenance activity, but also a compliance and performance driver.
ISO 50001 provides a structured framework for organizations to:
- Monitor and measure energy use
- Identify and prioritize energy-saving opportunities
- Implement and verify improvements
- Continually improve energy performance
Conducting targeted energy assessments is a core part of ISO 50001’s continual improvement cycle (Plan-Do-Check-Act). At the micro level, this process can pinpoint compressed air leaks as a major driver of wasted energy.
How to Evaluate Energy Consumption at the Micro Level
Micro-level evaluations take the guesswork out of energy management. By breaking down energy consumption by system, you can identify the exact processes or assets driving waste and focus your resources on fixes with the highest return on investment. This granular approach is critical for ISO 50001 compliance, as it allows you to measure and verify actual performance gains.
- Walk the facility to define the process or system you want to assess.
- Collect energy bills and gather available consumption data.
- Benchmark energy use with a power quality logger like the Fluke 1760 Power Quality Logger.
- Detect leaks in compressed air or gas systems using an acoustic imager such as the Fluke ii500, ii905, or ii915 Acoustic Camera.
- Analyze usage patterns to identify where energy is being wasted.
Once you compare the theoretical energy requirement to the actual energy used, the gap represents a savings opportunity.
Tools That Support ISO 50001 Compliance
Having the right tools makes it easier to measure, monitor, and verify improvements—three key requirements of ISO 50001. By integrating advanced logging and imaging technology into your maintenance routine, you can both improve system efficiency and maintain accurate records for compliance audits.
- Fluke 1760 Three-Phase Power Quality Recorder: Capture and benchmark facility energy data, helping you measure baseline performance and verify improvements.
- Fluke ii500, ii905, and ii915 Acoustic Camera: Quickly locate compressed air and gas leaks from a safe distance without disrupting operations. Advanced models like the ii905 and ii915 also include LeakQ™ Mode to provide a more in-depth analysis of leak size and repair prioritization.
Find out which Fluke Acoustic Camera is right for your application.
Industry studies show that leaks can waste up to 30% of a compressor’s output. Finding and repairing the highest-priority leaks can create immediate and measurable improvements in both energy efficiency and ISO 50001 performance metrics.
The Bottom Line
When leak detection is embedded in an ISO 50001 energy management system, it moves from being a reactive fix to a proactive strategy. By detecting and repairing leaks, you can:
- Reduce wasted energy
- Improve operational efficiency
- Lower operating costs
- Strengthen compliance with ISO 50001 requirements
Your compressed air system was designed to handle demanding applications, maintaining it through regular leak detection is one of the simplest ways to protect that investment and your bottom line.