--- title: "Case Study: How Lavazza Saved $278,000 Annually by…" description: "Lavazza's West Chester, PA coffee manufacturing facility slashed compressed air energy costs by 2.5 million kWh per year through leak remediation, repip..." lang: en json-ld: | [ { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "Organization", "name": "Air Compressor Sequencer", "url": "https://aircompressorsequencer.com", "parentOrganization": { "@type": "Organization", "name": "Emergent Energy Solutions", "url": "https://emergentenergy.us" } }, { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "Article", "headline": "Case Study: How Lavazza Saved $278,000 Annually by Optimizing Their Compressed Air System", "description": "Lavazza's West Chester, PA coffee manufacturing facility slashed compressed air energy costs by 2.5 million kWh per year through leak remediation, repiping, and sequencer-driven optimization — with 100% of project costs covered by utility incentives.", "image": "https://aircompressorsequencer.com/og-image.jpg", "author": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Bruce W.", "jobTitle": "Sales Director", "worksFor": { "@type": "Organization", "name": "Emergent Energy Solutions" } }, "publisher": { "@type": "Organization", "name": "Emergent Energy Solutions", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://aircompressorsequencer.com/logo.png" } }, "datePublished": "2025-06-15", "dateModified": "2025-06-15", "mainEntityOfPage": { "@type": "WebPage", "@id": "https://aircompressorsequencer.com/blog/lavazza-compressed-air-case-study" }, "url": "https://aircompressorsequencer.com/blog/lavazza-compressed-air-case-study" } ] --- [![Emergent Energy Solutions](/assets/logo-BEceeyq5.png)](/) [Home](/)[Technology](/technology)[Sizing Tool](/sizing-tool)[Savings](/savings)[Rebates](/rebates)[Resources](/resources)[Blog](/blog)[About](/about)[Contact Us](/contact) [Back to Blog](/blog) Case Studies 10 min read June 15, 2025 # Case Study: How Lavazza Saved $278,000 Annually by Optimizing Their Compressed Air System Bruce W. · Sales Director Emergent Energy Solutions · Compressed Air System Specialists · 100+ Installations Quick Answer Lavazza's West Chester, PA coffee manufacturing facility achieved 2.5 million kWh in annual compressed air energy savings through leak remediation, header repiping, and sequencer-driven compressor optimization — with 100% of project costs covered by utility incentives from PECO. When Lavazza — one of the world's oldest and most recognized coffee brands — set out to reduce energy consumption at their West Chester, Pennsylvania production facility, they discovered that compressed air was driving 37% of total energy costs. What followed was a textbook case study in how metering, analytics, and systematic optimization can transform a compressed air system from an energy drain into a model of efficiency. ## The Challenge: Compressed Air as an Energy Drain Lavazza's facility relies heavily on compressed air to generate the nitrogen that keeps their coffee fresh from production line to consumer. While producing nitrogen on-site is less expensive than purchasing and transporting liquid nitrogen, it remains extremely energy-intensive. The aging compressed air infrastructure had developed leaks, inefficient piping runs, and suboptimal control strategies that compounded the problem. In 2022, compressed air accounted for 37% of Lavazza's total electricity costs — a staggering proportion that made it the single largest target for energy reduction. As Lavazza manufacturing engineer Josh Miller put it: "It was a huge opportunity for Lavazza to be more responsible with our energy use, and also just reduce our monthly spend on electricity." ### Calculate Your Potential Savings Enter your system size into our free Sizing Tool — or request a no-cost assessment from our compressed air engineers. [Try Sizing Tool →](/sizing-tool)[Get Free Assessment](/contact) ## The Approach: Data-Driven Optimization Lavazza partnered with Kai Wong of Emergent Energy Solutions, who had previously collaborated with the facility on LED lighting retrofits. Using advanced energy analytics and metering, they developed a comprehensive picture of the compressed air system's performance: ### Phase 1 — Baseline Metering and Analysis Power meters, flow meters, and pressure transducers were deployed across the compressed air and nitrogen generation system. This instrumentation revealed: - **Leak load quantification:** Non-production hour monitoring showed significant air loss through system leaks - **Pressure drop mapping:** Excessive pressure drops across piping runs, elbows, and undersized headers were identified - **Compressor loading patterns:** Analytics revealed opportunities to optimize compressor sequencing and implement eco-mode controls ### Phase 2 — Systematic Improvements Based on the metering data, Miller and Wong planned a series of incremental improvements: - **Leak remediation:** Systematically locating and repairing compressed air leaks plugged a major energy drain at its source - **Piping upgrades:** Repiping with reduced elbows and upsized pipe diameters decreased frictional losses throughout the distribution system - **Eco-mode implementation:** Configuring compressors to shut off generators when demand decreased, rather than running unloaded - **Additional sensor infrastructure:** Installing monitoring points for future automation and troubleshooting capability ### Phase 3 — Minimized Disruption A critical success factor was maintaining continuous nitrogen and compressed air supply to the production line during all modifications. "For the most part, we were able to work through it and valve off certain areas," Miller explained. Pre-planning the installation sequence ensured zero production downtime. ## The Results: Measurable, Verified Savings The combined improvements delivered extraordinary results: - **2,531,772 kWh** in annual energy savings - **$278,490** in estimated annual energy cost savings (at $0.11/kWh blended rate) - **Over 5 PSI** reduction in total system pressure drop - **$210,360** in project costs — 100% covered by PECO Ways to Save utility incentives ($253,180 approved, capped at project cost) As Wong noted: "There are so many run-hours on a compressed air system like this that even very minor changes can have huge impacts on energy use." ## Why This Case Study Matters The Lavazza project illustrates several principles that apply to any compressed air optimization effort: ### 1\. Metering Is the Foundation Without comprehensive metering data, the specific sources of energy waste would have remained invisible. Power meters on each compressor, flow meters on the distribution system, and pressure transducers at key points provided the actionable intelligence needed to prioritize improvements. ### 2\. Incremental Improvements Compound No single change produced the full $278,000 in annual savings. It was the combination of leak repairs, piping upgrades, and control optimization that delivered the total result. Each improvement reduced system demand, which in turn improved the efficiency of the remaining equipment. ### 3\. Utility Incentives Change the Economics The PECO Ways to Save program covered 100% of project costs, making the ROI effectively infinite from day one. Many utilities offer similar programs, and the combination of metering data and verified savings makes applications straightforward. "PECO Ways to Save has found a way to make it easier every year to access incentives for energy-saving upgrades," Wong observed. ### 4\. Sustainability and Profitability Align Lavazza's corporate commitment to sustainability — evidenced by their LEED-certified facility — aligned perfectly with the financial case for compressed air optimization. Reducing 2.5 million kWh annually translates to approximately 1,770 metric tons of CO₂ avoided (using EPA's eGRID average emission factor). ## Applying These Lessons to Your Facility If your compressed air system represents a significant portion of your electricity bill, the Lavazza case study provides a proven roadmap: - . **Install metering** on all compressors and key distribution points to establish a baseline - . **Analyze the data** to identify leaks, pressure drops, and loading inefficiencies - . **Prioritize improvements** based on ROI and implementation complexity - . **Apply for utility incentives** using metering data to support your application - . **Verify savings** with ongoing monitoring to ensure improvements persist Contact Emergent Energy Solutions for a complimentary assessment of your compressed air system. Our cloud-based analytics platform and engineering expertise can identify opportunities like those at Lavazza — and help you capture them. \*Case study data sourced from the PECO Ways to Save program. Estimated Annual Energy Cost Savings based on a blended rate of $0.11/kWh.\* ## Related Articles [Case Studies ### Case Study: Automotive Plant Saves $180,000 Annually with Sequencer ](/blog/case-study-automotive-plant) [![Emergent Energy Solutions](/assets/footer-logo-DhJESLe2.png)](/) Emergent Energy Solutions, LLC is a Philadelphia-based company specializing in energy monitoring, compressed air optimization, and sustainability consulting for commercial and industrial facilities. #### Services - [Consultative Services](https://www.emergentenergy.us/consultative-services) - [Energy Sub-Metering](https://www.emergentenergy.us/energy-metering-amr) - [Industries & Case Studies](https://www.emergentenergy.us/Turnkey-Solutions) - [Compressed Air Blog](/blog) #### Resources - [Compressed Air Challenge®](https://www.compressedairchallenge.org) - [DOE Resources](https://www.energy.gov/eere/amo/compressed-air-systems) - [Energy Blog](https://www.emergentenergy.us/blogs/energy-submetering) #### Contact - 831 Lincoln Ave Unit D-10 West Chester, PA 19380 - [215-645-7141](tel:2156457141) - [sales@emergentenergy.us](mailto:sales@emergentenergy.us) #### Part of the Emergent Energy family [Emergent Energy Solutions — full-spectrum energy efficiency services](https://emergentenergy.us/)[circuit-level monitoring behind every sequencing project](https://emergentmetering.com/)[qualify compressed-air savings for utility rebates & Tier II AECs](https://pasrecs.com/) © 2026 Emergent Energy Solutions, LLC. 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