The air compressor stock in China reached about 3 million in 2020. Air compressor systems are responsible for over 9% of electricity consumption in the industrial sector in China, amounting to roughly 550 TWh of electricity in 2023.

The air compressor system is composed of a complex combination of various components and equipment designed to deliver high-quality compressed air to industrial users in production activities and has higher energy-saving potential. The driving electric motor presents an improvement potential ranging from approximately 1.4% to 3%. There remains a notable opportunity for enhancing energy efficiency in air compressors by 10% to 20%. However, achieving such a substantial enhancement entails significant costs and may pose challenges to the economic feasibility for motors and compressors.

Since 2000, with the further advancement of screw air compressor miniaturization technology, the market has witnessed the emergence of Integrated Compressed Air Equipment (ICAE) as a novel type of system-oriented product. ICAE offers numerous advantages, including tailored compressed air supply to match demands at the point of use, heightened energy efficiency for air compressors, enhanced drying processes, integration of centralized control technology and variable frequency speed regulation technology, reduced operating pressure, optimization of pipeline networks, enhanced leakage control, and utilization of compressed air heat recovery. Market research reveals that over 200 Chinese manufacturers produce and promote ICAE in the Chinese market.

In conclusion, China's consumption of compressed air energy is substantial, presenting significant potential for energy savings in systems. The market outlook for ICAE products is promising, and standardization efforts for ICAE products are imperative. It is recommended for Chinese policymakers to consider establishing mandatory energy efficiency standards for ICAE.