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Our client asked:

Our client sought to reduce carbon emissions from a leading mains-powered air fragrance device by rethinking system design, targeting electricity consumption as the dominant lifecycle driver.

The project story:

  • Working closely with our client’s technical, sustainability and commercial teams, we challenged the product definition – for example, questioning whether burst-mode operation could replace continuous dispensing
  • We developed a mathematical model to assess heat flow and thermal efficiency, including the percentage of heater power reaching the wick enabling fragrance dispersion
  • Carbon footprint was assessed using an existing LCA, adjusted for real-life usage over a three-year lifespan with ten refills
  • We delivered a wide range of design concepts in a workshop with our client, covering three solution categories:
  1. Simple: ~25% energy saving through minor component layout changes, with no cosmetic difference
  2. Novel: ~35% energy saving through increased device footprint and revised component layout
  3. Disruptive: ~60% energy saving through innovative architecture and component selection, but within constraints on BoM cost

 

Client benefit:

  • Identified viable design concepts delivering up to ~60% reduction in operational energy use and associated emissions
  • Selected concepts underpinned by:
  1. Clear commercial rationale, including cost and aesthetic considerations
  2. Robust technical validation through CFD modelling and component-level cost analysis
  • Provided a clear R&D roadmap to develop and validate the selected system design

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