How a Bakery from Oleśnica Lowered Heating Costs by 4,200 PLN Per Month
Mr. Adam has been running a family bakery in Oleśnica for 19 years. In March 2024, his gas bills reached a record level of 14,380 PLN, which put into question the sense of continuing to bake traditional bread. Instead of looking for savings in cheaper flour, we together found money where no one looked — in the chimney.
The problem that was eating profits every night
In the bakery at ul. Wojska Polskiego, three large batch ovens are working. Each of them generates huge amounts of heat, which for years simply escaped outside. During our first visit on April 12, 2024, we measured the temperature of the exhaust gases — it was as high as 214 degrees Celsius. This is pure energy for which Mr. Adam was paying PGNiG and then releasing it straight into the air over Oleśnica. With current fuel prices, such waste is a direct path to closing the business.
The owner was skeptical. He thought that modern ecology was an expense of 150,000 PLN for heat pumps, which might not work given the specifics of the bakery. However, we check facts, not promises. We performed an audit that lasted exactly 5 hours and 20 minutes. We calculated that by installing a simple flue gas-to-water heat exchanger, we could heat all utility water and support central heating in the office and social area with an area of 87 square meters.
We check facts, not promises. We count every kilowatt-hour because in business, sentiments don't pay the bills.
Solution without unnecessary talk
We decided to install a local heat recovery system based on a shell-and-tube exchanger. The entire installation took the team 3 business days, and the work was carried out between 10:00 AM and 4:00 PM so as not to interrupt the nightly baking cycle. The cost of the entire investment, including materials and labor, was 54,320 PLN net. This is less than the price of one new oven, and the effect exceeded the owner's expectations in the first month after turning the valves.
We used 42 meters of insulated copper pipes and a buffer tank with a capacity of 850 liters. Thanks to this, the water in the taps and in the radiators now has a constant 55 degrees Celsius, and the bakers no longer have to use a single gram of gas to heat it. The system is easy to operate — Mr. Adam only has to check the filter patency once a quarter, which takes him about 18 minutes. Ecology is simply pure profit if you approach it with a head and a wrench in your hand.
It is worth highlighting that we avoided complicated electronics. At EKO-Efekt Consulting, we know that in conditions of flour dust, the simpler the mechanism, the less often it breaks down. This is crucial in small plants where there is no position for an installation maintenance person.
Concrete numbers after 6 months
The data from October 2024 are clear. Average monthly gas consumption dropped by 26.4%. Translated into zlotys, Mr. Adam keeps an average of 4,187 PLN in his pocket every month. At the current rate of return, the entire investment will pay off in 12.9 months. These are not theoretical calculations from advertising brochures, but real transfers that the owner no longer has to make to the energy supplier's account.
An additional benefit is the improvement of work comfort. Previously, near the ovens, the temperature in summer reached 38 degrees. Thanks to better insulation of the flues and directing the energy to the exchanger, the temperature dropped by 4.2 degrees. This may seem like little, but for employees standing at the paddles for 8 hours, it's a colossal difference. The bakery is now considered one of the most modern in the Oleśnica district, although the machines are over a decade old.
We keep 4,187 PLN in our pocket every month. The investment will pay off in less than 13 months.
How to check the potential for yourself?
Every plant that uses thermal processes — whether it's a smokehouse, a paint shop, or a small foundry — is losing money through the chimney. The first step is not buying expensive equipment, but reliable measurement. At EKO-Efekt Consulting, we don't sell ready-made sets from a catalog. We arrive with a pyrometer, an exhaust gas analyzer, and a calculator. If the calculations show that the payback will take longer than 3 years, we say it openly and advise against the investment.
In the case of the bakery in Oleśnica, it was crucial to use existing infrastructure. We didn't tear up floors, we didn't chip walls in the store. We used free space under the ceiling in the flour warehouse to mount the buffer. Such an approach allows for modernization without stopping sales for even an hour. If your energy bill exceeds 8,000 PLN per month, you are probably wasting at least 1,200 PLN that could stay in the company.
