Compressed Air System Upgrade Saves Energy and Improves Performance at Raytheon's Andover, Massachusetts, Plant

May 4, 2005

Raytheon Company, a major manufacturer of defense-related electronics, is saving both energy and money at the Integrated Air Defense Center (IADC) plant in Andover, Massachusetts, by upgrading its compressed air system. Compressed air is used throughout industry, and depending on the type of plant, it can consume a significant amount of electricity. This particular upgrade saves Raytheon $141,500 in annual energy and maintenance costs and reduces energy use by more than 1.6 million kWh per year.

After attending a DOE-sponsored Compressed Air Challenge® workshop a few years ago, plant staff commissioned a system-level audit of the compressed air system to see how it could be made more efficient. Plant engineers worked on the project with Energy & Resource Solutions (ERS), based in Haverhill, Massachusetts. Using AirMaster+ software, DOE Qualified Specialists at ERS evaluated the system's efficiency and obtained the baseline data needed to gauge the effectiveness of several recommended improvements.

Plant staff then replaced worn compressors and dryers, installed more sophisticated controls, and repaired energy-wasting leaks in the system, among other measures. The result was a measurable improvement in the system's efficiency and economics. The total cost of implementing the project was $342,000, but a $174,000 incentive from the utility, National Grid, reduced that to $168,000. So, the project effectively paid for itself in less than 15 months.

Raytheon has long been an industry leader in environmental conservation. Since 1999, the company has been an active ENERGY STAR® partner, and it was named "Partner of the Year" by EPA and DOE in 2003.

To learn more, see the case study (PDF 638 KB) Download Acrobat Reader.

Contact the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy's Information Center at eereic@ee.doe.gov or 877-EERE-INF(0) for technical assistance and to learn more about ITP resources.