Cleanrooms

Cleanrooms are areas where the air quality is controlled to the high standards needed in the manufacture of healthcare, pharmaceutical and some electronic goods. These standards usually require high fresh air rates, filtering and heating or cooling of air which in turn means high energy usage.

Ireland's high technology manufacturers who are involved in electronic, health and pharmaceutical industries have an estimated combined annual energy spend of €12.6m for their cleanroom operations and this cost is rising with an increasing dependency on cleanrooms generally. The majority of this is for electricity consumption and average savings have been identified as being up to 20%.

Up to €2.5 million could be saved annually on energy use in cleanroom operations by ensuring the design of the plant takes into account energy efficient techniques and by using the latest technologies.

This would represent a reduction of over 100,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions which is the main global warming gas.

The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland has produced the following case study on cleanrooms:
Case Study 12 - Energy Use in Cleanrooms Case Study