Lower Your PSI, Lower Your Bill: Pressure Setpoint Savings Calculator
- Sullair dealer since 1984
- Serving industry since 1978
- No form fill, nothing gated
What this calculator tells you
Many plants run 10 to 20 PSI higher than they need. See what turning the setpoint down is worth on your compressor.
Your System
Results
Dropping from 110 to 100 PSI saves:
$0 per year
Energy saved: 0% of compressor electricity (about 0 kWh per year)
10-year savings: $0
Bonus: lower pressure also cuts artificial demand. Expect roughly 0% less air consumed by leaks and unregulated uses (about 0.7% per PSI).
How this is calculated
- Rule of thumb: every 2 PSI of pressure reduction saves about 1% of compressor energy.
- Percent saved = (current PSI - proposed PSI) / 2 x 1%.
- Annual energy cost = HP x 0.746 / motor efficiency (93% assumed) x load % x hours x $/kWh, the same formula as our Energy Cost Calculator.
- Annual savings = annual energy cost x percent saved.
- Artificial demand reduction = (current PSI - proposed PSI) x 0.7% of leak and unregulated flow.
Estimates only. Actual results depend on your equipment and operating conditions. Call 800.825.3222 for exact sizing.
Common questions
How much energy does lowering compressor pressure save?
A widely used rule of thumb is that every 2 PSI reduction in discharge pressure saves about 1 percent of compressor energy. Dropping from 110 to 100 PSI saves roughly 5 percent of the compressor's electricity, which on a 50 HP machine running two shifts is well over 700 dollars per year.
What is artificial demand in a compressed air system?
Artificial demand is the extra air consumed by unregulated uses and leaks simply because system pressure is higher than needed. Flow through leaks and open blowing rises with pressure, so lowering the setpoint cuts consumption by roughly 0.7 percent per PSI on the unregulated portion of demand, on top of the direct energy savings.
How low can I set my compressor discharge pressure?
Your setpoint must stay above the highest minimum pressure any tool or process requires, plus the pressure drop between the compressor and that point of use. Most industrial tools are rated at 90 PSI. Before lowering below about 80 PSI at the compressor, verify minimum required tool pressure and measure the drop across dryers, filters, and piping.
Want a tech to verify these numbers at your facility?
Request received. If you need someone now, call 800.825.3222.
Please fill in all required fields (name, company, email, phone, preferred contact method, ZIP, and city), or call 800.825.3222.
These are estimates. An air audit gives you measurements.
A week of logged data on your actual system beats any rule of thumb. Our engineers run no-obligation compressed air audits across 14 Midwest locations.