Energy efficiency comes in large loads at Cape Cod Commercial Linen Service (CCCLS), a commonly energy intensive business. Since 1985 the company has been serving resorts, hotels, restaurants and clubs in on Cape Cod, Martha’s Vineyard, and Nantucket. This project will allow for expansion in new territories.
The company’s energy efficiency projects began in 2012, after they purchased a 30,000 square foot complex in Hyannis, MA, and consolidated their commercial linen service operation from two separate, smaller facilities. By necessity, a laundry service consumes a great deal of water and energy. Yet, by identifying opportunities to replace standard commercial laundry equipment with high-efficiency alternatives, CCCLS President and Owner Jeffrey Ehart found ways to reduce his business’s water and energy impact, and save more than $140,000 annually on electric and gas bills. Among the projects were:
- new energy-efficient linear fluorescent and LED lighting for the building’s interior and exterior
- variable speed drives on pumps for process water
- a high-efficiency boiler and heating system
- and an energy recovery ventilator, which saves over 3,500 therms of gas annually by using exhaust heat from the commercial dryers for space heating.
- CCCLS also purchased an Ironer w/ Cape Light Compact Rebates
The most significant efficiency investment has been the Milnor Commercial “Tunnel” Batch Washer, an almost 40-foot long multi-chamber tunnel washer/dryer. Conventional washers use, on average, 2.5 to 3.0 gallons of water per pound of laundry. The Tunnel uses approximately 0.3 to 0.6 gallons of water per pound, reducing the amount of water that must be heated. This results in natural gas savings for the boiler system. Because the system can also complete wash cycles in shorter time periods, run hours and electricity consumption are reduced. This saves over 100,000 kWh, 80,000 therms of gas and 20,000,000 gallons of water annually.
Ehart credits these measures, combined with Cape Light Compact’s knowledge and resources, with providing “increased financial stability as well as a competitive advantage, as energy cost per pound of laundry decreased significantly.”
CCLS has included environmental commitment in its new strategic plan, and future projects include possible solar power or co-generation alternatives, as well as ways to reduce plastics consumption.
And the commitment for energy efficiency CCCLS shows is inspiring their customers. Just this year, its 10 largest customers purchased custom, stenciled laundry bags to be used in place of plastic bags that would otherwise be thrown away.
CCLS also has begun a new partnership with Christeyns, which will allow CCCLS to reduce its water and energy consumption required to wash linens by using Christeyns specialized laundry chemicals. Unlike traditional bleach or hydrogen peroxide, the primary chemical Christeyns uses, peracetic acid, requires a lower hot water temperature to activate the cleaning elements.
Thanks in part to its energy efficiency success, CCCLS’s future is as bright as the linens it famously provides.