Bearing in mind that the compressed air is frequently recognized as a free resource due to the fact that the costs and effects of the production and use of compressed air remain unseen, awareness of the real impact of compressed air on the environment in numerous cases does not exist or is not sufficiently expressed. Taking into account the purpose and necessity of compressed air utilization for the operation of many devices and machines it is needed to point out what is necessary to accomplish and how much energy it takes to produce compressed air. The aim of this paper is, in addition to the aforementioned, to indicate crucial spots on the concrete example where is possible to optimize system or increase energy efficiency from point of compressed air production, through its preparation and management, to end point where it is used as en energy source by pneumatic actuators in order to perform required work. Lastly, the possibilities of process automation using CO₂ sensors in order to increase efficiency are shown.