On September 12, Climate Protection Minister Leonore Gewessler[1] introduced “Mission 11,” which aims to motivate domestic households to save energy. Among other things, the initiative points out the savings potential of showering. One minute less under the shower could reduce energy consumption by 20 percent; the use of energy-saving shower heads is also recommended[2]. Independently of this, proven environmental technology from Austria also promises great effect with minimal effort. Mini-turbines mounted between the shower hose and faucet can reduce water consumption by up to 40 percent – and without the loss of comfort that often accompanies many economy measures.
Altenberg, on September 15, 2022. Lights off, lids on and temperatures down – there are many ways to save energy in the home. But which ones really make sense and can be implemented easily and without high investments? Showers and washbasins in particular offer great potential for savings, because they not only consume vast amounts of drinking water, but also a great deal of energy. Hot water preparation is the second largest energy consumer in the household after heating. Therefore it makes sense to save here, in order to lower the water and also the energy consumption and in further consequence the costs and the CO2 output. A mini-turbine from Altenberg can help do just that, without sacrificing comfort.
“Conventional water-saving shower heads, as we all know them, reduce water consumption, but at the same time usually also reduce showering comfort, because less water here also means lower water jet intensity. Our Ecoturbino, on the other hand, generates a highly swirled and accelerated water-air mixture inside the mini turbine, which means that the intensity of the shower jet remains the same as before, with a saving of 40 percent hot water, which in turn also reduces energy consumption and costs,” explains Rabmer Managing Director Ulrike Rabmer-Koller.
An energy saving tool for all households
According to Rabmer-Koller, the innovative mini turbine can help save water and energy quickly and easily in any household: “In principle, the Ecoturbino is suitable for all common shower systems and can thus be screwed in quickly and easily in front of the shower hose in existing showers. In terms of sustainability, it was important to us that the existing shower head does not have to be replaced but can continue to be used.”
Over 100 euros savings per person possible
Ecoturbino reduces water consumption in showers by around 40 percent without sacrificing comfort. “Most showers in households have a flow rate of 12 to 15 liters per minute. With Ecoturbino, you can reduce that to as little as 7 liters per minute,” Rabmer-Koller says. In figures, this means that with the mini-turbine a three-person household can thus save 30,000 liters of water and 1,200 kWh of energy or 300 euros in household costs every year. Depending on how much showering is done, the purchase pays for itself after just a few months.
Tip from the energy saving expert
“Most people are not even aware of how much hot water they actually use when showering,” Rabmer-Koller is convinced and gives the following tip: “With a so-called bucket test, you can easily determine how much water you use in the shower. To do this, place a bucket in the shower, turn the water on full and let it run into the bucket for one minute. If you now place the bucket on a scale, the weight indicates the number of liters per minute. In this way, you can see how much water you are currently using. The individual savings potential can then be found out in our online savings calculator at www.ecoturbino.com.”
