Hand Dryer Case Study (Offices) - The Department for Energy and Climate Change

The Project

In 2012, The Department for Energy and Climate Change (DECC) aimed to improve their sustainability credentials by upgrading washroom facilities across its offices. The goal was to find the most energy efficient, sustainable and user-friendly replacement hand dryers for its numerous washrooms throughout its HQ buildings 3 Whitehall Place and 55 Whitehall.

Firstly, DECC wanted to eliminate paper towels, thereby cutting waste disposal costs, as well as minimising the labour hours required for waste collection/disposal. Additionally, they wanted to reduce energy consumption of hand dryers by installing the lowest power rated solutions available, and reduce standby power consumption.

Secondly, DECC specified that energy efficiency must be assessed in terms of energy per dry rather than solely kilowatts (kW), recognising that some hand dryers may take longer to complete the drying process than others. Lastly, DECC aimed to enhance the washroom environment for its staff by minimizing noise levels.

The Solution

DECC opted to install 54 Biodrier Biolite low energy hand dryers, sourced by their facilities management company, in order to meet these sustainability goals.

These compact, yet powerful hand dryers serve an energy-efficient hand drying solution, perfect for companies striving to adopt more eco-friendly practices in the washroom.

The Results

Waste Reduction:

In the Greening Government Commitments report published in December 2013, DECC reported good progress towards meeting its waste reduction commitments. It states that DECC has seen a 14% reduction in waste in 2012/13, with part of this improvement attributed to the installation of the hand dryers and phasing out of paper towels.

Energy Savings:

DECC reports that the Biodrier Biolite hand dryers use significantly less energy, both in use and during standby periods.

This is due to the evolution of hand dryer technology, allowing for an adjustable heater element. For organisations like DECC, this provides the opportunity to use the lower energy setting during summer months, as warmer air is not required.

Minimising energy consumption when not in use is also key to delivering these energy savings. Solutions like the Biolite have a very low standby usage of just 0.1kW.

Lastly, the Biolite hand drying cycle lasts just 10-12 seconds with these, further minimising energy use.

Enhanced Washroom Experience:

Switching from paper towels to hand dryers delivered an instant visual transformation in the tidiness of the washroom, as well as the bins taking longer to fill.

Noise is minimised too with levels limited to just 70 dBa, improving the washroom experience further.

Swift Payback Period:

The payback period for these Biolite dryers was calculated to be only 17.2 months (based on DECC’s five-day working week).