Lane Press is working with local non-profit agency, Efficiency Vermont, to optimize our compressed air system and, thereby, reduce our energy consumption. This project is in keeping with Lane Press’s ongoing efforts to be a good steward of our environment.

 

Most of the manufacturing equipment in a printing facility like ours requires pressurized air to get and keep the various pieces and parts moving. This includes equipment in our prepress department, pressroom, and bindery. To provide this air, Lane Press has a complex compressed air system that meters out and delivers high-pressure air to each piece of equipment.

With the help of Efficiency Vermont, we are undertaking a comprehensive analysis of our compressed air infrastructure to make sure we’re using only as much energy to power this system as is required. We have set out to determine whether we can lower the output of compressed air while meeting the requirements of each piece of equipment. We are also locating and repairing any inefficiencies in the system, such as air leaks. To assist us with these tasks, Lane Press and Efficiency Vermont will have the help of an internationally recognized air system expert, who will be onsite with us for the duration of the project. 

This is not the first project Lane Press has undertaken with Efficiency Vermont—nor will it be the last. We have a standing partnership with this organization to identify ongoing energy improvements that can be made with the help of today’s—and tomorrow’s—energy efficiency innovation. This air compression analysis and optimization project will help reduce Lane Press’s energy consumption by an estimated 150,000 kWh of electricity per year. 

 

Efficiency Vermont was created in 2000 by Vermont legislature and the Vermont Public Service Board to help the state's businesses and residents save energy, reduce energy costs, and protect Vermont's environment. Since its inception, Efficiency Vermont has helped Vermonters reduce annual energy costs in their businesses and homes by a total of more than $31 million.