A Breath of Fresh Air: Our Commitment to Clean Air in Schools

Over the school holidays, our dedicated team at Sanitair completed over 3,500 air conditioner cleans across more than 80 schools nationwide. These busy little beavers have been hard at work, ensuring that staff, students and the entire school community can breathe clean healthy air every day.

Not only did we enhance indoor air quality, but we also made a significant environmental impact. By performing premium cleaning and sanitising on these air conditioning units, we've estimated that these schools collectively reduced their carbon footprint by approximately 1,323 metric tonnes. That’s right! A simple act of maintaining air conditioners can lead to substantial energy savings—up to 28%—while contributing to the reduction of greenhouse gases.

We applaud all the educators and school administrators who are committed to fostering cleaner, healthier learning environments for their students. Your efforts in prioritising air quality not only benefit the health of your students and staff but also play a vital role in combating climate change.

At Sanitair, we believe that every step towards improving air quality is a step towards a brighter, greener future. Thank you to all the schools for partnering with us in this important initiative.

Together, we are making a difference!
If you are interested in scheduling a site audit for your school, please complete the form and your local Sanitair® HVAC Hygienist will be in touch.

This is how we worked out the savings!

To estimate the savings in energy costs and the reduction in carbon footprint from cleaning 3,500 air conditioners, we can use the following steps:

Energy Savings

If cleaning one air conditioner saves 28% on energy costs, then:

- For one air conditioner the savings is 28% of its energy consumption.

- For 3,500 air conditioners the total savings would be 28% of the combined energy consumption of all 3,500 units.

To quantify this, let's assume an average energy consumption for a single air conditioner. According to various sources, a typical air conditioner might consume around 1,000 to 2,000 kWh per year, but for simplicity, let's use an average of 1,500 kWh per year.

Energy consumption for 3,500 air conditioners: 
$3,500 x 1,500 kWh year = 5,250,000 kWh year

Savings from cleaning:

28% x 5,250,000 kWh year = 1,470,000 kWh year

Carbon Footprint Reduction

To calculate the reduction in carbon footprint, we need to know the carbon emissions associated with the saved energy. The carbon footprint of electricity varies by region, but a common estimate is around 0.6 to 1.2 kg CO₂ per kWh. Let's use an average of 0.9 kg CO₂ per kWh for this calculation.

- Carbon emissions saved: 1,470,000 kWh year x 0.9 kg CO kWh = 1,323,000 kg CO year

- This is equivalent to 1,323 metric tons of CO₂ per year.

- Energy Savings: Cleaning 3,500 air conditioners would save approximately 1,470,000 kWh of energy per year.

- Carbon Footprint Reduction: This would result in a reduction of about 1,323 metric tons of CO₂ per year[2][6][7].

Calculating Trees Needed to Plant to Absorb Carbon

This would be equivalent to planting 132,200 trees. To calculate, determine how many trees need to be planted to offset, 1,323 metric tonnes of CO₂ per year, we can use the estimate that an average tree absorbs about 10 kilograms of CO₂ per year.

• Convert the total CO₂ savings to kilograms:

  1,323 metric tonnes x 1,000 kg tonne = 1,323,000 kg

• Calculate the number of trees needed to absorb this amount annually, assuming each tree absorbs 10 kilograms of CO₂ per year:

 

To offset 1,323 metric tonnes of CO₂ per year, you would need to plant approximately 132,300 trees, assuming each tree absorbs 10 kilograms of CO₂ per year.

 

 

Citations:

[1] https://straightshooter.ac/blog/environmental-benefits-of-ac-maintenance-reduce-your-carbon-footprint/

[2] https://www.sustainablefuturegroup.com.au/2023/08/10/aircon-efficiency-and-the-environment-how-regular-cleaning-saves-more-than-just-money/

[3] https://www.seeleyinternational.com/blog/environmentally-friendly-air-conditioning/

[4] https://proflohvac.com/how-ac-maintenance-can-help-you-reduce-your-carbon-footprint/

[5] https://8billiontrees.com/carbon-offsets-credits/how-to-reduce-the-carbon-footprint-of-your-air-conditioner/

[6] https://supremeservicetoday.com/blog/how-ac-maintenance-can-reduce-your-carbon-footprint/

[7] https://paragonheating.com/eco-friendly-air-conditioning/

[8] https://alpha-air.com.au/how-efficient-hvac-systems-reduce-your-carbon-footprint/