Sustainable solutions save money

Autoclaves

Sustainable solutions save money

06 Feb, 2026

In today’s laboratories, sustainability is no longer just desirable; it is central to responsible budgeting, operational resilience, and long-term planning. With water and energy prices continuing to rise across the UK and Ireland, laboratories are under increasing pressure to reduce resource consumption without compromising performance. This is where smarter equipment choices make a measurable difference.

Priorclave autoclaves are designed with efficiency at their core, delivering reliable sterilisation whilst significantly reducing water and power usage. For example, Priorclave benchtop autoclaves fitted with a condensate bottle exhaust can consume as little as half a litre of water per cycle. For laboratories running multiple cycles per day, that efficiency quickly translates into tangible savings, not just on water bills, but also on the energy required to heat and manage excess steam.

Even at larger scales, the benefits are clear. A 150-litre cylindrical chamber autoclave, such as the Priorclave EH150-SMART, typically uses between 10 and 45 litres of water per cycle, depending on configuration. A standard cycle incorporating both a vacuum system and a drain condenser generally falls within the 35-45 litre range, remarkably low for equipment of this capacity and performance.

Independent testing has highlighted just how significant such efficiencies can be. When rectangular chambered steam-jacketed autoclaves were compared against cylindrical, non-jacketed designs, they were found to consume more than thirty times as much water, with no corresponding improvement in sterilisation performance. In other words, higher resource consumption does not necessarily lead to better results.

By reducing unnecessary water and energy use, Priorclave autoclaves help laboratories reduce their operating costs, meet sustainability targets, and future-proof their facilities against rising utility prices.

To find out how much your facility could save by choosing the right model for your autoclave requirements, contact Priorclave.

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ILM 51.6 Sept 2026

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