Latest News From Ebac Watercoolers
Leading the way in Energy Efficiency
Ebac helps end users Go Green by cutting their Watercooler Energy Consumption by as much as 83%
In today’s tough economic climate and with ever increasing demand to reduce energy consumption Ebac, the British based water cooler company, has developed a super efficient water heater which is integrated into both their bottled and mains fed water dispensers.
It is true that energy consumption has been ignored in the past, even though the running costs could be higher than the actual rental cost of the cooler. However, Ebac hot & cold water dispensers can help to reduce a business’s carbon footprint and give a better beverage by ensuring the water is hot enough even to make tea.
The product like most good things is simple. By having a vacuum flask type outer skin very little heat escapes once the water is heated. The loss is so small that there is little benefit switching the heater off even when the dispenser is not required. For example, over a weekend the tank only needs 1/3 of an electricity unit from Friday evening until Monday morning, meaning for a few pennies you can start the day on Monday with a delicious hot drink. A further benefit of the super insulated hot tank is that it does not heat the chilled water in the dispenser. Ordinary hot tanks not only cost more to run for the hot water but it increases the cost of the cold water and also reduces the amount of chilled water available. A poorly insulated dispenser could easily cost over £75 more than a vacuum insulated tank.
To highlight the energy savings that end users can benefit from by switching to a more efficient watercooler, Ebac recently conducted some research by comparing their EMax hot & cold watercooler with a similar direct chill hot & cold cooler and a similar traditional reservoir with UV light hot & cold cooler. Energy efficiency tests were carried out based on dispensing 15 litres of chilled water and 5 litres of hot water per week and based on a water inlet temperature of 20?C with 12?C drop for chilled water and 73?C rise for hot water.
Under Energy Star guidelines, the acceptable electricity level for running a hot and cold water cooler is 1.2 kW hours per day. The tests showed that when dispensing 3 litres of cold water and 1 litre of hot water per day, an Ebac hot & cold watercooler used just 0.456 kW hours per day, which was 83% less energy than the direct chill cooler which used 2.526 kW hours.
Over the course of a year these energy savings would represent a significant reduction in running costs for the end user. The Ebac hot & cold cooler would use 153.32 kW hours per year costing just £15.33 a year in electricity, whereas the direct chill hot & cold cooler was found to use 908.87 kW hours per year and cost £90.89 in electricity – meaning the end user can save up to £75.56 per cooler per year just by switching to an energy efficient cooler unit.
Water coolers are usually left switched on 24 hours a day so stand-by consumption is also of ultimate importance. The stand-by figures of an Ebac watercooler are amongst the lowest in the industry with their hot & cold coolers using just 0.33 kW hours a day compared the direct chill cooler which used 2.4kW hours a day.
In addition to lower running costs, end users can drastically reduce their carbon footprint by switching to a more efficient watercooler. When translated into CO2 emissions, the annual energy savings of 755.55 kW hours gained by switching to an Ebac cooler equates to a reduction of 325 kg of carbon per cooler, per year.
Ebac are also highlighting the fact that energy efficient watercoolers can offer advantages over other appliances, such as kettles, which often waste energy due to over usage. An Ebac Hot Tank uses 0.247 kW hours to dispense 1.5 litres (10 cups) of hot water over the course of 1 full day. This is compared to a standard 3kW kettle which, on average, uses 0.207 kW hours to boil 1.5 litres of water once for 249 seconds. However, according to DEFRA, 67% of people boil more water than is required – sometimes up to twice as much. This and the fact that we are likely to boil the kettle more than once throughout the day to re-heat the water means that we could actually use up to 0.414 kW hours to consume the same 1.5 litres of hot water compared to Ebac’s 0.207kW hours. Ebac’s hot tank uses Electronic proportional control ensuring the water is efficiently maintained at a constant delivery temperature of 93°C, meaning you can enjoy instant access to a hot drink for less energy than you are likely to use with a kettle, not to mention saving valuable time during the day.
Ebac’s hot tank now comes as standard in both EMax and FMax bottled and POU coolers.
Commenting on Ebac’s commitment to offering customers a more energy efficient watercooler solution, chairman John Elliott said “Businesses are now becoming more open about their corporate social responsibility and over the last couple of years we’ve seen an increased demand for more environmentally friendly watercoolers. We believe the superior energy efficiency of Ebac’s Hot Tank is highly attractive to suppliers and consumers alike to help support their environmental policies, as well as enabling them to cut costs in today’s tough economic climate.”
He added, “We’re now working with our customers to help the end user understand their current emissions and how those can be reduced with Ebac Water Coolers – in some cases by as much as 83%”
Ebac plans to launch a brand awareness campaign in July which includes press, pr and online advertising, to educate end users into the environmental benefits of Ebac watercoolers. The campaign will also involve a new end user section on their website offering a range of tools such as online buying guides, energy consumption calculators and impartial advice on how to pick the right watercooler. Ebac aims to generate sales leads from the campaign which they will then pass on to their customers.
Ebac’s energy efficient hot tank uses as little as 0.12kW hours a day to maintain water at 93°C
Ebac’s FMax & EMax POU both offer chilled & hot water for up to 83% less energy than other coolers
For more information about Ebac Watercoolers visit www.ebacwatercoolers.com or contact Richard Gates on 01388 605061 ext. 444.
Ebac is a privately owned group of companies mainly focused on manufacturing. The Group also has interests in leisure, bottled water and product design. The Group has been the market leader in Western Europe for watercoolers since the mid-90s and has held a prominent position in the European dehumidifier market for over 20 years. For the past two decades Ebac has continued to expand its UK operations when others have moved their production facilities elsewhere. The Group now employs 350 people in the UK's North East, but retains a strong export focus with 70% of its turnover coming from Continental Europe. Ebac's success is built on its dedication to quality and innovation in all areas, from manufacturing and design to HR and customer support.
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