ENERGY EFFICIENT LAUNDRIES
COOL DOWN: Lowering wash temperature is an efficient way to conserve energy
Cooling the climate Energy efficient laundries are what every operator is striving for and, at last, it is a real possibility F
or so long the term ‘energy efficient laundry’ was a prime illustration of an oxymoron: They have to use a lot of energy and water to operate. There is a lot water and steam to be generated, dryers to be run and the big debate was only whether to use gas or electricity. For many years gas won hands down; after all, electricity was made from gas and as the secondary process it had to be more expensive! Now things have changed, and really, quite quickly. Where thermal disinfection was a driver, developments in low temperature chemicals that disinfect to the same degree have really changed things, and has cut the cost of water heating in many instances. Water use has been slashed with clever ways of recycling it as well as incredibly clever innovations by machine manufacturers and the chemicals people, again. Greener solutions are coming on stream constantly. There is a good reason for operators to take on board these developments because, as well as being more sustainable and kinder to the planet, they also cut costs and we all know what lower costs mean, don’t we? Higher profits!
Or, at least , it means businesses have more chance of survival in today’s cut-throat world of slim margins and customers who dictate the lowest prices.
With more efficient presses for tunnel washers and better water extraction in washer exctractors along with ironers that dry sheets as they iron, do we really need tumble dryers any more for anything else except towels? And mats, because as Tim Hobday of M + M Matting UK says, if there is any doubt over the question of whether to tumble mats or not the answer is yes, you do need to as the process reinvigorates the matting.
But do we still need to generate steam? Many launderers will say: ‘Yes”. And that is because it really gives the best handle on towels. Jumping away from the usual sort of laundry LCNi usually covers, we recently got wind of a pilot scheme being operated by EPIC Group, a clothing manufacturer which operates globally with design, sourcing and manufacturing capabilities. The group specialises in cotton-rich garments and has laundry facilities for cotton and denim. Customers include Walmart, Uniqlo, Tesco and C&A.
As we all know, industrial heat accounts for a significant portion of carbon emissions in the fashion industry. While sustainable biomass is one option, decarbonising industrial heat can also be achieved by converting processes requiring heat to be powered with renewable electricity. Heat pumps are the most efficient electrical heating solutions available, often delivering two or more units of heat for every unit of electricity consumed.
Heat pumps operate by using refrigerants to transfer heat, functioning much like an air conditioner but in reverse. Typically, heat pumps generate hot water at around 90°C, which is insufficient for powering industrial dryers rated to operate with pressurised steam above 150°C. TRIGeN Decarbonisation, an Indian Deeptech startup, has developed heat pumps capable of generating pressuriSed hot water at 135°C, specifically designed to meet the needs of Epic Group’s laundry operations.* Tonello, an Italian manufacturer recognised for its leadership in industrial washing and drying technologies for the fashion industry, has adapted its dryers to operate with 130°C pressurized hot water,
*This pilot will not only demonstrate the EPIC group’s commitment towards sustainable manufacturing but will also result in of 12,500 metric tonnes of CO2 displacement over the lifetime of the pilot. Dinesh Virwani, executive
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