New company promotes compressed air efficiency

Edited by the Engineeringtalk editorial team Aug 11, 2000

Energy efficiency consultancy EnergAir has been formed to introduce a new service that offers compressed air users independent advice on how to reduce the electrical consumption of compressed air

Energy efficiency consultancy EnergAir has been formed to introduce a new service that offers compressed air users independent advice on how to reduce the electrical consumption of compressed air systems.

Backed up by EnergAir's advanced Air Management Systems, both compressors and downstream equipment can now be monitored over long periods to reduce energy costs, improve operational efficiency and enhance support services.

When the Climate Change Levy is introduced in April 2001, companies can automatically derive additional savings from such improvements.

"The challenges facing UK manufacturing companies are well documented and in order to increase competitiveness and profitability they must reduce and control their operational costs," says John Sinker, managing director of EnergAir.

"Energy is a major operational cost and compressed air is a key consumer of energy (representing 10% of all industrial electrical consumption).

In many cases, companies use their compressors inefficiently and have inadequate distribution systems.

"EnergAir's Air Management systems combine efficient control and continuous monitoring of a compressed air installation, and will make a noticeable difference in a matter of days.

And of course all efficiency improvements translate to the health of a company's bottom line.

John Sinker, Graham Coats and Marc Saunders, formed EnergAir as a completely independent control system consultancy focused on factory environments, to market the Air Management System developed by Marc.

All are highly experienced in the field of compressed air.

The company works closely with premier compressed air distributors and large companies operating multiple manufacturing sites to provide new, enhanced levels of efficiency and service for the compressed air user.

Services include compressed air performance audits, installation of intelligent and efficient monitoring and control technology alongside best practice operating procedures to continuously improve compressed air system efficiency and reduce downtime.

About EnergAir's key people: John Sinker, managing director, has 22 years experience in the compressed air industry, much of it at senior level.

He spent 10 years with Ingersoll Rand as a senior development engineer before moving to CompAir in a similar role.

He then progressed through the company to engineering director, and was appointed engineering director for CompAir companies across Europe.

During his last year he was appointed vice-president of technology.

Throughout his time at CompAir he took particular interest in energy efficient production of compressed air, and CompAir was the first to launch a variable speed drive compressor using switched reluctance drive technology.

He has also been instrumental in developing energy management techniques, in the form of supervisory control systems for multiple compressor installations.

Graham Coats, sales director, has spent 12 years in the compressed air industry, working at CompAir for eight years.

Starting in direct and regional sales he spent some time working overseas in Europe, the Middle East and South America prior to becoming UK sales manager.

Graham has developed the marketing strategy, which emphasises EnergAir's work with compressed air users and its independence from equipment manufacturers.

Marc Saunders, technical director, started with Perkins Elmer and moved into the compressed air industry 12 years ago.

Starting with CompAir as a control systems specialist, he became service development manager specialising in control systems.

In 1997 he was the product manager responsible for taking the variable speed compressor from engineering into the market, and when this was complete joined John Sinker as engineering control manager, spending his final year with CompAir as controls manager, Europe, Marc has developed the Air Control System.