Northern Illinois manufacturers can save thousands of dollars in energy bills by improving the efficiency of their compressed air systems. Thanks to compressed air energy incentive programs from ComEd, optimizing your compressed air system may cost little or nothing.
ComEd offers several energy incentives and incentive programs for manufacturing customers in Northern Illinois. These programs pay for leak detection and repair and provide incentives for Variable Speed Drive (VSD) compressors and other energy-saving upgrades to your compressed air system. These programs include both Standard Energy Incentive Programs (for systems of any size) and Industrial Systems Programs (for compressed air systems for 25 HP and above).
Standard Energy Incentive Programs
- Standard Prescriptive Incentives (for businesses of any size)
- Custom Energy Incentives (a per-kWh incentive for projects outside the scope of the prescriptive incentive programs)
Industrial Systems Programs (for systems of 25 HP and up)
- Fix-It-Now (for leak repair and other well-defined repairs and system upgrades)
-
Comprehensive Program (includes an energy audit, recommended upgrades or repairs based on that audit, and system verification; provides a per-kWh incentive for energy-saving improvements)
How Do Energy Incentives Work?
ComEd, like many energy suppliers, provides incentives to help large energy users reduce their consumption. Why would your energy company want you to use less energy? For a couple of reasons:
- Energy companies get incentives from the government to reduce their carbon footprint, which means reducing the amount of energy their customers consume.
- Energy companies want to reduce the overall load on the power grid. By helping their customers be more energy-efficient, energy companies can forestall expensive infrastructure upgrades, reduce the risk of outages, and better regulate supply and demand.
- Manufacturers and other large energy users provide the greatest opportunity for energy companies like ComEd to reduce the overall load on the power grid and avoid big swings in energy demand. For many manufacturers, the compressed air system represents a large share of their overall energy consumption. Inefficiencies in compressed air systems can add thousands of dollars to the average manufacturer’s energy bill and add to the strain on the power grid.
That’s why ComEd and other power companies target incentives and incentive programs specifically to compressed air users. If you are a ComEd customer, you have already paid for the energy incentive program as part of your electricity bill. You’ll find the program under the “Taxes and Fees” section of your energy bill. And since you’ve already paid for it, you might as well use it!
Prescriptive and custom energy incentive programs from ComEd can help companies offset the cost of energy-saving improvements to their compressed air systems; in some cases, these incentives may cover the majority of the cost. Generally, these programs will cover the cost of new equipment only.
Standard Energy Incentive Programs
Standard Energy Incentive Programs from ComEd include standard prescriptive incentives as well as custom programs for energy improvements that do not fall under the standard programs. Both standard and custom incentive programs may require pre-approval prior to the purchase and installation of new equipment.
Standard Prescriptive Incentive Programs offer a defined incentive for the purchase of energy-saving upgrades for your compressed air systems, including VSD air compressors, zero-loss condensate drains, and more. These programs are open to all non-residential customers, regardless of size.
Variable Speed Drive (VSD) Prescriptive Incentive Programs
The ComEd Standard Incentive Program covers several different kinds of energy upgrades for industrial compressed air systems, but upgrading to VSD delivers the highest payoff. VSD air compressors save energy by controlling the frequency supplied to the drive motor on the air compressor in response to real-time demand on the system. When demand is low, the motor will run at a reduced speed, requiring less energy to operate. When demand for compressed air is higher, the VSD will automatically increase the frequency of the air compressor motor to meet CFM demand. An average-size manufacturer may see $15K-20K in annual energy savings when upgrading from a fixed-speed rotary screw compressor to a VSD compressor.
The ComEd standard prescriptive incentive program covers $200 per HP for new air compressors with integrated VSD (up to 200 HP) when replacing an existing fixed-speed rotary screw compressor or installing a new one for a new facility or expansion.
VSD air compressors larger than 200 HP may qualify for incentives under ComEd’s Custom Efficiency programs.
Standard Compressed Air Prescriptive Incentive Programs
ComEd offers several additional prescriptive incentive programs for compressed air. Pre-application is not required for projects with a cost of under $1,000.
| Offer | Standard Prescriptive Rebate | 20% Rebate* |
|---|---|---|
| Air compressor(s) with integrated VSD ≤ 200 HP | $220 per HP | $264/HP |
| No-loss condensate drains | $250 per drain | $300 |
Refrigerated dryers:
|
$1 per rated CFM $3 per rated CFM $2 per rated CFM |
$1.20/CFM $3.60/CFM $2.40/CFM |
| Desiccant compressed air dryer | $4 per CFM | $4.80/CFM |
*=Pre-Approval through January 31st, Install by October 31st 2025
Custom Energy Efficiency Programs from ComEd
The Custom Energy Efficiency Program provides incentives for other types of improvements based on the kilowatt-hours (kWh) of energy saved. The incentive for custom projects is $0.18/kWh saved.
Custom incentives pay for upgrades not otherwise qualifying for prescriptive rebates under the Standard or Small Business Programs.
Examples may include:
- Right-sizing the compressed air system
- Multiple compressor systems
- VSD for compressors over 200 HP
- Load or pressure reduction
Projects must be pre-approved. To get started with a custom study, contact ComEd or an authorized industrial service provider such as Fluid-Aire Dynamics.
Industrial Systems Programs
The Industrial Systems Programs at ComEd provide additional incentives for industrial systems projects, including compressed air studies, repair and system upgrades. These programs are open to customers with compressed air systems of 25 HP or greater (must be main/running units). Industrial Systems Programs include the Fix-It-Now Program and Comprehensive Energy Studies.
The ComEd Fix-It-Now Program
The Fix-it-Now Program is aimed at simple, low-cost measures to improve the efficiency of industrial systems. Unlike most prescriptive and custom energy incentive programs from ComEd, the Fix-It-Now Program does not require pre-approval for systems under 1,000 HP.
Fix-It-Now Leak Repair
The Fix-It-Now Leak Repair Program is one of ComEd’s most popular programs. Under this program, manufacturers can get most compressed air leaks fixed at no cost and make other energy-saving improvements. ComEd covers the cost of repair for all but the largest or most complex leaks. The money is paid directly to the vendor, so there are no up-front costs for manufacturers.
To qualify, manufacturers must:
- Have a compressed air system of 25 HP or larger (not including backup compressors
- Be a ComEd customer
Leak repair can save thousands of dollars on your compressed air energy bill. ComEd will cover leak detection and repair as often as every nine months so you can stay on top of new leaks as they develop.
Fluid-Aire Dynamics is an approved service provider under the ComEd Fix-It-Now Leak Repair Program. We use an ultrasonic detector to locate leaks in your compressed air system that are too small to detect with human senses. We’ll repair as many leaks as possible on the spot, and then send the bill to ComEd. If leaks are too numerous to fix in a single visit, we’ll schedule a follow-up appointment. Leaks that are not covered by the program will be tagged, and an estimate for the cost of repair can be requested.
Aire Tip: Leaks in your compressed air system can add 30% or more to your compressed air energy bill. Read more about the cost of leaks in your compressed air system.
Comprehensive Industrial Study
Large businesses may also qualify for a comprehensive energy efficiency study from ComEd. Industrial customers who implement energy-saving measures identified in the comprehensive study qualify for up to $0.18 for each kWh of energy saved under the ComEd Industrial Systems Program. In many cases, this is enough to cover all or most of the cost of the upgrade.
These studies cover two areas of energy use:
- Compressed air
- Process efficiency
The projects have three phases:
- Investigation: Each project starts with an energy efficiency study completed by ComEd and/or an authorized ComEd partner. The study identifies the biggest opportunities for energy savings and estimates the annual kWh savings for each improvement.
- Installation: The recommended installation, repair, or upgrade is completed by an authorized ComEd partner such as Fluid-Aire Dynamics, who will work with you to identify a statement of work and plan your implementation.
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Verification: Custom programs must have a follow-up study completed after the installation to verify the actual energy savings realized. ComEd pays the end customer once the verification study is complete.
The compressed air portion of the study will most likely include data logging. This involves attaching a sensor such as a pressure gauge or amp meter to the system for an extended time period, typically at least two weeks. In most cases, amp meter data logging is sufficient for a compressed air study. Monitoring energy use by the air compressor over time allows us to extrapolate important information such as the average duty cycle, time spent loaded and unloaded, peak usage times, and the variability in energy use over a shift, day, or week.
Collecting data over time while the system is in normal operation provides insights into system performance that can be used to identify opportunities for savings. For example, if you have large variations in compressed air demand, the study may recommend installing a smaller HP backup compressor for use during periods of low demand. The energy savings created by reducing dependence on a large compressor may more than pay for the cost of the smaller compressor. A comprehensive study can also tell you if you are running your compressed air system at a higher pressure than necessary.
Getting Started with ComEd Energy Incentives for Compressed Air Systems
Fluid-Aire Dynamics makes it easy to apply for incentives and incentive programs from ComEd. We are an authorized service provider for compressed air system energy incentives through ComEd. We’ll even fill out the paperwork for you and provide all the required documentation.
We can:
- Conduct compressed air studies through the ComEd program;
- Identify your greatest opportunities for energy savings and incentives;
- Detect and repair leaks through the Fix-It-Now Program;
- Install qualifying equipment and upgrades, including VSD air compressors.
Contact us to learn how we can help you improve the energy efficiency of your compressed air system. The sooner you get started, the sooner you can start saving money on your energy bill!
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