http://www.energyefficiencynews.com/articles/i/5192/?cid=3

 

Guiness World Records has handed out an energy efficiency world record to a UK company for its hand-dryer for the first time.

 

British manufacturer SAVORTEX's Vortex 550 EcoSmart has achieved the world record for "the most pairs of hands dried using 30 kJ of energy".

The hand-dryer successfully dried four pairs of hands, which had been fully submerged in water and then placed directly into the dryer, using just 24 kJ of energy. Hands were judged to be dry when the measured moisture level was less than 40% across the entire surface.

The world record was developed as a challenge to measure the energy efficiency of hand-dryers, which typically use 72-96 kJ of power to dry just one pair of hands.

The winning British designed-and-made hand-dryer uses a patented technology to recover energy while in use and generates warm air by a compression process instead of heating elements. Compared to a conventional 2400 W hand-dryer, the 550 W Vortex achieves an energy reduction of 88%.

The company, which was founded by former contestant on TV reality show The Apprentice Syed Ahmed, claims the Vortex 550 EcoSmart is the lowest carbon hand-dryer in the world and can dry 40 pairs of hands for just 1p in electricity costs.

While the unit costs around £700 to purchase, the running costs are significantly less than conventional hand-dryers or using paper towels, says SAVORTEX.

The recognition is the latest in a string of efficiency world records from the Guiness World Records, including the longest lasting AA alkaline battery, which went to Panasonic's EVOLTA, the most fuel efficient vehicle - the PAC-Car II created by the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, and Sainbury's as the most efficient supermarket.

"Guinness World Records is continually innovating on the record titles that we recognize and we, like consumers and businesses around the world, are focused on sustainability and efficiency," says head of records Marco Frigatti. "[We] aim to expand the range of energy efficiency world records that we recognise."