Where peak electric demand charges are high or rising, using a natural gas-driven compressor instead of an electric motor could significantly cut operating costs. In many cases, the savings is sufficient to justify adding such a machine to an existing compressor bank, or even replacing existing older electric drive compressors.
When compressed air is part of a manufacturing process, having a natural gas-driven unit “in the loop” provides the same kind of security as a backup generator at a lower installed cost and without many of the headaches (e.g., permits) that are attached to on-site generation. Recent rolling blackouts and spiking power prices add new reasons for considering this option.