Variable speed air compressors are a key element in the current growth of the rotary air compressor market, according to a new report from Research and Markets.

The analysis predicts a compound annual growth rate of 4.05% for the global rotary air compressor market between 2016 and 2020.

Within this segment, variable speed air compressors have proved to be an important innovation, advancing the technology of rotary compressors to the next stage of evolution.

“Continual innovations have led to the development of next-generation air compressors,” the report states. “Extensive R&D has enabled vendors to incorporate variable speed drives into their air compressors.

“Vendors are now manufacturing air compressors that make use of variable speed technology and a unique drive to manipulate the speed.”

This leads to real-time continuous energy efficiency improvements, cutting down on fuel consumption and electricity usage, and reducing emissions – delivering overall energy efficiency improvements of more than a third.

HVAC and refrigeration systems are a further important market segment, with rotary air compressors used to compress refrigerant vapours to raise the pressure and temperature of the fluid.

In the HVAC segment, rotary screw compressors and rotary vane compressors are both used for applications like ductless air conditioning and light-duty residential air conditioning.

Together, the variety of different uses that are all seeing heightened demand is testament to the versatility and broad reach of the rotary air compressor market as a whole.

Research carried out for the report is based both on the current conditions throughout the sector, and on expectations of how current trends will continue to shape the market throughout the remainder of the decade.

In writing the report, the researchers liaised with leading industry figures – adding ‘on the ground’ input from those individuals to the overall analysis of how the global rotary compressor market is shaping up for the second half of the 2010s.