The bathroom is the place for relaxation and well-being. Unfortunately, a lot of energy and water is also used for this purpose during daily use. The Hansgrohe Group’s bathroom analysis has shown that more than 90 % of the CO2e emissions of the bathroom are attributable to its long-term usage phase. The holistic analysis examined the CO2e consumption of the usage, as well as the production and disposal phases of each component in the room. Derived from this, the Hansgrohe Group presented a sustainable bathroom of the future: Hansgrohe’s Green Vision Beyond Water is a radical reinterpretation of the bathroom that uses 90% less water and 90% less energy, and therefore amounts to 90% fewer CO2e emissions.
Two areas separate water and wellness: the BASE is considered the conceptual bodily hygiene platform and is the biggest driver of green product development. It includes a 10-liter shower with a misty spray for showering and an overhead light, so that users always know how much water is still available for the shower. The visionary BASE washbasin features a non-heated mist for the majority of hygiene rituals (washing hands, washing face) and one heated and one non-heated mono spray each for “small bodily hygiene”. Derivations of this concept study to reduce the ecological footprint and still enjoy a great bathroom experience are already making their way into the products of the premium brand hansgrohe. For example, a large number of hansgrohe shower systems already feature reduced water consumption and adapted spray types. In addition, the premium brand offers basin faucets with energy-saving cold water applications and many other features that can encourage consumers to make sustainable behavioral changes.
1. Water – and Energy-Saving Shower Systems
Technological innovations play a major role in the careful use of valuable resources in everyday life, especially in the bathroom. Products with hansgrohe EcoSmart+ technology use just six liters of water per minute. Since less water also means less hot water, i.e. less energy for its preparation, a four-person household saves up to 1.500 kWh of energy annually. This saving corresponds to around eight percent of the household’s total annual energy consumption.¹ Financially, the purchase pays off after just two months. From then on, the cost of hot water is reduced by up to 500 Euros per year.
To create even more awareness for sustainability in the bathroom, hansgrohe offers consumers the opportunity to use a water and energy saving calculator to easily find out how high their personal savings could be.
2. Spray Types Matter
Reduced use of resources means they have to be used even more cleverly. Microfine spray types such as hansgrohe PowderRain envelop the body in a gentle mist, selectively washing shampoo out of hair, and ensuring great showering pleasure despite using less water. This is also confirmed by a TRND study with 150 customers that compared a hansgrohe Pulsify hand-held shower with EcoSmart technology to a conventional hansgrohe hand-held shower. Nine out of ten test persons confirm: less water, great showering pleasure.²
3. Full Water Control Thanks to Clever Thermostats
Who doesn’t know those moments when water is already running, but you’re still waiting for the right shower temperature? High-quality thermostats allow easy control to quickly reach the desired temperature and select the right shower. What’s more, thermostats like hansgrohe ShowerSelect Comfort always keep the water temperature and volume constant so that not a liter of water is lost. Thanks to the integrated EcoStop button, the thermostat also helps with the conscious use of valuable resources: only when the button is pressed can the water be turned on fully; for example, for washing out shampoo in very thick hair. The same applies to the temperature. In addition to greater safety, the SafetyStop button only allows the temperature to rise above 40 degrees after consciously pressing the button, thus helping to establish new habits.
4. Saving Energy at the Washbasin As Well
Clever technologies can also optimize the use of the washing station. This is demonstrated not only by the innovative washbasin in the Green Vision concept study. The hansgrohe CoolStart technology already provides the right twist for an even more sustainable everyday life. It ensures that the faucet automatically provides cold water when the handle is in the middle position. This means that energy is not unnecessarily consumed for heating water when the faucet is briefly turned on and off, for example when moistening a toothbrush. The integrated EcoSmart+ technology of many hansgrohe faucets also reduces water consumption to just four liters per minute at three bar. This change can also be felt in the wallet. One can save up to 160 Euros a year with water- and energy-saving faucets.
¹ Calculation basis (based on hansgrohe water saving calculator): Flow rate of a standard shower: 15l/min (reference products: hansgrohe Raindance Select S hand shower 120 3jet, flow rate of a water-saving shower: 8.5l/min; Tecturis basin mixer, EcoSmart+ & CoolStart technology), shower duration: 5 minutes per person per day, 4-person household, water costs: 5.37€/m3 , energy costs: 18ct/kWh (natural gas), energy consumption for hot water and heating: 18,000 kWh per year, 365 days.
² TRND study with 150 customers, Jul 2022. Water savings compared to Hansgrohe standard consumption.
