CASE STUDIES
GREEN BEFORE, DURING AND AFTER
Kärcher explains how the concept, operation and lifecycle maintenance of its innovative cleaning technologies – and even its newest Kärcher Centre – help businesses achieve sustainability by design.
Sustainability is now a major part of all businesses; whether global conglomerates or small independents, everyone is assessing their carbon footprint to see how they can operate in a more environmentally friendly manner. However, while most businesses will have completed an energy audit and begun to carve out unnecessary costs, the long-term environmental and physical cost of cleaning inefficiencies is often harder to quantify.
While time always equals money, the multiplier is the efficiency factor. More efficient cleaning machines allow work to be carried out faster, and lead to significant labour cost savings. These allow a shorter payback period, greater added value and real competitive advantages.
As one of the world’s leading cleaning technology providers, Kärcher fulfils a dual role, firstly as a globally responsible manufacturer and as an extension of that, as an ambassador for cleaning efficiency, providing advice, training and support to those looking to optimise their own cleaning processes.
At Kärcher we have a name for optimised material, energy and water usage: eco!efficiency. Kärcher machines with eco!efficiency mode can be set easily, even while cleaning, to automatically operate at their most efficient level, noticeably reducing the consumption of energy, water and cleaning agent. The eco! mode also reduces wear and tear on materials and the machine, resulting in longer maintenance intervals, lower service costs and longer lifetime.
SAVING WATER Water rates and disposal charges can represent a significant business expense. Pressure washers use less water than you might imagine and can be supplied from a harvesting,
recycling or stationary system (i.e. bowser) as well as mains, but high-pressure cleaners save water because their nozzles reduce flow rate whilst increasing the element of force. Whereas a garden hose with approx. Four bar of pressure uses around 3,500 litres an hour, a portable high-pressure cleaner uses on average 500 litres – a saving of up to 85%. Moreover Kärcher water recovery systems can recycle up to 90% of the total water used, quickly paying for themselves in fleet cleaning situations.
Kärcher’s water-efficient design has earned all its Steam Cleaners, Steam Generating Vacuums and many Scrubber Dryers a place on the Government’s Water Technology List. Business purchasing machines from the list are entitled to claim 100% first-year tax relief products under the Enhanced Capital Allowance (ECA).
The most environmentally-friendly and economical detergent is that which is not used. Kärcher’s Steam cleaner and Steam Generating Vacs (the SG 4/4 and SGV 6/5 models respectively) provide certified disinfection and kill 99.999% bacteria without chemicals. Where detergent is wanted or needed, Kärcher Dose technology enables exact dosing of cleaning agents and, as a result, achieves a significantly lower level of consumption. It’s worth noting, not all detergents are alike; Kärcher designs its detergents to be as innovative as the machines they’re intended to work with, delivering excellent performance and care combined with the protection of people, the machine and the environment: Highly concentrated formulas require tiny doses, reducing packing material and transportation costs, while patented solutions include easily-separable
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formulas which have excellent disposal credentials.
HOT WATER –
FRIEND OR FOE? While hot-water high-pressure cleaners require larger amounts of energy and additional cleaning agents for very stubborn dirt, it is however a very efficient technology in comparison with conventional cleaning. In practice the use of heat energy is considerably outweighed by the amount of water and cleaning agent saved, with the added economical saving of our ‘time is money‘ equation.
SAVING ENERGY Sometimes you need maximum power and heat to tackle a tricky task, but a lot of the time 60°C is entirely sufficient to get the job done. Kärcher eco!efficiency mode for hot water (HDS) machines will reduce the heat output to 60°C and in doing so reduce fuel consumption by up to 20% – meaning you don’t pay for what you don’t need, but extra muscle is only ever a flick of a switch away.
Likewise, the T 12/1 eco!efficiency dry tub vacuum cleaner proves that less can be more. Its 750W motor uses 40% less electricity but, thanks to flow-optimised suction channels, achieves 98% of the cleaning performance of the basic unit, which is completely sufficient for daily maintenance cleaning.
The eco!efficiency mode in scrubber dryers reduces the brush speed and the suction power to a level adequate for lighter soiling. This allows excellent cleaning results to be achieved with significantly lower consumption and reduces wear and tear on the machine, saving up to 20% energy and 10% water and detergent.
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