Published: 12/12/2025
How Air Compressor Heat Recovery Can Reduce Energy Costs
Compressed air is a valuable source of energy for all types of industries. It’s used to power food and drink manufacturing lines, chemical processing, and a whole range of manufacturing and production, such as automotive and textiles.
By being such an important provider of power to pneumatic applications, air compressors also require a significant amount of electrical energy to operate. Statistics suggest that compressed air accounts for 12% of the total energy costs for industrial manufacturers.
So, when compressed air is critical to power your industrial needs, where else can energy costs be saved?
As air compressors operate, up to 94% of the electrical energy they use results in heat production. This is a huge amount of energy left to dissipate into the atmosphere, if left unresolved.
This article will outline how air compressor heat recovery systems can capture waste heat and reduce your energy costs.
Just looking to make your compressor system more efficient? Find help here.
Why should you invest in a heat recovery system?
As already mentioned, compressors without heat recovery processes in place can lose between 70-94% of their input energy as waste heat. This percentage is dependent on your cooling methods, type of compressor, and the efficiency of your system, but the fact is that a lot of energy will be lost.
Waste heat energy recovery systems ultimately capture the heat as energy and reuse or repurpose it. Your compressed air system will reuse the heat energy that would otherwise be wasted and reduce your energy costs (since the recovered heat energy will be used instead of paying for additional power).
The cost of a heat recovery system quickly becomes worthwhile, with most systems paying for themselves in 1 to 3 years. If you’re looking to cut long-term costs and reduce your CO2 emissions, heat recovery is the way to go.
Where does the recovered heat energy go?
Air compressor heat recovery works differently depending on the type of cooling system.
If your system features air-cooled compressors, cooling fins and airflow are used to pull heat from the compressor. The hot air will be redirected into environments like workspaces, workshops, and places that need to stay warm during colder months.
A water-cooled compressor absorbs heat using water and cooling jackets. The energy heats the water (up to 90ºC) and can then be used in boilers, for sterilisation and cleaning, or for other heating purposes. In the case of water-cooling, heat recovery is more complex because pumps, control valves, and a heat exchanger are needed to function correctly. To prevent unnecessary complexities, water-cooled compressors with heat recovery are recommended only for compressor sizes of 15kW and upwards.
What is recovered heat used for?
In summary, recovered waste heat can be used for:
- Heating workshops, workspaces, and production halls
- Hot water for boilers
- Process water for sterilisation or cleaning
- Capturing steam from heated water to power production processes, drying, cleaning etc.
How do heat recovery systems reduce energy costs?
Heat recovery systems capture waste heat from air compressors and reuse it for the processes listed above (heating, hot water etc.). By reusing the heat energy instead of letting it into the atmosphere, your business can make the most out of the electrical energy first put into the compressor. You’re no longer wasting the 94%.
Most energy recovery systems pay for themselves after one year. Investing in one proves cost-effective in the long-term.
Reusing heat energy instead of using more electricity reduces your carbon usage. Push your business as a green business by investing to reduce your carbon footprint.
Heat Recovery Systems from Air Supply Manchester
If you’re ready to reduce your operating costs and add a cost-effective heat recovery system to your air compressor, please get in touch with the team at Air Supply Manchester.
As a Premium Partner of BOGE for the North West, our engineers and sales staff are well-experienced in designing and maintaining compressed air systems that ensure efficiency and cost-effectiveness.
Call us directly on +44(0)161 5183440 or email sales@airsupplymanchester.co.uk for more information.