Filter more sustainably: HS-Econergy06.2021
Our "HS-Econergy" project stands for energy-saving and resource-saving filter solutions.
We at HS-Luftfilterbau GmbH have been pursuing the approach of sustainable production since the end of the 1990s. Last but not least, we underline our attitude towards this with our environmental management system, which has been certified for more than twenty years. While in the past we have increasingly optimized our processes with regard to environmental compatibility, we consider the time to be more than ripe enough to also take certain risks in product development. We will offer the market and consumers products that not only increase the energetic effectiveness of your ventilation system, but also give you the option to reduce the consumption of irreplaceable raw material stocks and the associated CO2 release in the manufacture of air filters.
Storage filters (in this sense "air filters" for short) are essential consumption components to ensure the functionality of air conditioning systems. They consist of a large number of more or less high-quality and elaborately manufactured materials. In addition to the filter media, which consist of synthetic nonwovens or meltblowns, glass fibers or synthetic membranes, other essential components are frames, seals and special adhesives. Optimizing the sustainability of these products has so far largely failed to materialize due to the price sensitivity of major users and consumers. The manufacturers' efforts are essentially focused on saving energy during operation and the lowest possible manufacturing costs. In both cases it can be assumed that these aspects of sustainability are already very far advanced.
However, if you look at the resource requirements of a compact filter, which is used, for example, in air conditioning systems, supply and exhaust air systems or gas turbines, an imbalance immediately strikes you when you look at the figures. Filters of this type weigh 6 - 8 kg in standard dimensions. During the period of use, these filters store approx. 250 - 600 g of atmospheric dust, particles and aerosols. In other words: a 7.5 kg filter (592x592x292 mm) is disposed of after the weight has increased to 7.9 kg when the final pressure difference is reached, or in other words: for a maximum of half a kilo of stored fine dust, 7.5 kg of mass must also be disposed of. Recycling of the components is not possible or would be extremely difficult due to the filtrates alone.
This means that the balance of benefit effectiveness for these products turns out to be extremely poor.
The optimization of compact filters is our first development goal due to their general distribution and thus large quantities as well as the comparatively poor benefit effectiveness, which will be followed by a series of sustainability optimizations in our entire production range in the coming years. Here it ultimately depends on the users and consumers whether we can consistently follow this path. The costs of sustainable products will initially be higher than those of classic products. In the long term, however, these changes are inevitable if we want to leave a planet worth living in for future generations. Under the given circumstances, there is not much time left to transform our consumer goods and consumer products.
Our "Econergy" project starts this summer with our compact filter HS-Mikro Pak 4V Econergy, the plastic components of which consist of more than 60% renewable raw materials. If we succeed in replacing our total demand for plastics in this segment, we could save approx. 70 - 90 tons of polystyrene per year and thus greatly reduce the consumption of fossil raw materials in this supply chain. How strongly do these figures show: for the production of 1 kg of polystyrene, approx. 10 kg of crude oil, 7.4 kg of natural gas and 0.14 kg of coal are required.
From August 2021 HS-Mikro Pak 4V Econergy will be available in classes ePM10 60% to ePM1 85% as well as EN 1822 E11 and H13. It goes without saying that HS-Mikro Pak 4V Econergy offer the lowest initial pressure losses in the area of energy class A +. This enables your organization to achieve energy and CO2 savings targets.
We would be delighted if you would support us in this mission.
It has now been sufficiently proven that Sars-Cov-2 viruses can be transmitted via aerosols and thus Covid-19 via the air. In view of the fact that schools, lecture halls, larger offices and event rooms in particular have so far hardly been equipped with adequate filter solutions, we have designed a room air cleaning system that is compact, inexpensive and, above all, works decentrally.