Compressors are often compared on purchase price. Yet that is the smallest part of the bill: a machine that runs several hours a day uses far more electricity in a few years than it cost to buy.
Estimating your electricity bill
The basic calculation fits on one line: power (kW) × operating hours per year × price per kWh.
Example, with assumptions to adjust to your situation: an 11 kW compressor running 2,000 hours a year, with electricity at 0.20 € per kWh, uses about 11 × 2,000 × 0.20 = 4,400 € of electricity a year. Over ten years, that is several times the price of the machine.
Our electricity cost calculator does this calculation for you, taking idle running time into account.
Lever 1: leaks
A hissing fitting, a split hose, a drain stuck open: every leak forces the compressor to produce air for nothing, even at night if the network stays under pressure. Leaks are often a workshop's biggest source of waste, and the cheapest to fix. The leak cost calculator gives an order of magnitude of what they cost.
Lever 2: the right pressure
Producing air at a higher pressure than needed costs energy: a commonly used rule of thumb is about 7 % more consumption for each extra bar. If your tools work at 6 bar, setting the compressor to 10 bar "to be on the safe side" costs you every day. Set the pressure to the actual need, allowing for network losses.
Lever 3: idling
A fixed-speed screw compressor that is not delivering air keeps running idle for a while, and still draws about a quarter of its power. There are two ways to deal with this: a correctly sized machine that does not spend its time idling, and a large enough air receiver to space out the cycles. On AIRSTAHL models with a permanent magnet motor and variable frequency drive, the motor speed follows the air demand.
Lever 4: maintenance
A clogged air filter or a saturated air/oil separator makes the machine work harder for the same air flow. Servicing follows the hour meter: first service at 500 hours on our screw compressors, then every 1,500 hours. Our service kits bring together the right parts for each model.
In practice
Before choosing a machine, ask yourself how many hours a day it will run. For a few minutes of use per hour, a piston compressor is enough. For continuous use, a correctly sized screw compressor costs less over time. The configurator calculates your air requirement from your tools, and we can check the sizing with you before you order.