energy saving opportunities in laundries · of textile properties can signiﬁ cantly reduce energy...

Energy saving opportunities

in laundries

How to reduce the energy bill and thecarbon footprint of your laundry

Sector guide CTV040

Contents

Introduction 02

Technology overview 03

Taking a critical look at your laundry 07

Energy management 11

Equipment and systems maintenance 15

Reducing future energy consumption 17

Glossary 20

Useful addresses 23

Next steps 24

www.carbontrust.co.uk

http://www.carbontrust.co.uk

1Energy saving opportunities in laundries

Reducing energy use makes perfect business sense; it saves money, enhances corporate reputation and helps everyone in the fi ght against climate change.

The Carbon Trust provides simple, effective advice to help businesses take action to reduce carbon emissions, and usually the best way to do this is to use energy more effi ciently.

This sector guide introduces the main energy saving opportunities relating to laundering, and demonstrates how simple actions can save energy, cut costs and reduce carbon emissions without affecting the quality of the laundered items.

A short section on energy management advice for dry cleaning is presented at the end of the guide for those laundries that also have a dry cleaning department.

2 The Carbon Trust www.carbontrust.co.uk

IntroductionEnergy management in laundering requires skilful management of day-to-day operations, as well as expert engineering to ensure that the installed equipment delivers the economy for which it was designed.

Managing energy use in laundries also demands shrewd purchasing of equipment. And for those companies that also rent out the textiles they wash, a sound knowledge of textile properties can signifi cantly reduce energy consumption. This guide provides energy saving guidance on every aspect of the laundering and textile rental operation.

The commercial laundry industry ranges from small laundries and on-site launderettes, to large laundries and textile rental plants. In the UK, this industry has an annual energy consumption of around 1,100GWh, leading to emissions of about 265,000 tonnes CO2/year. Major energy using processes employed across the industry include high-temperature washing, tumble drying, multi-roll ironing and garment tunnel fi nishing.

Energy consumption in individual laundries varies considerably across the industry, depending on the type of laundry and the equipment used. However, for all of them there is a wide range of energy saving opportunities available, which can lead to a more effi cient business and bring signifi cant savings in energy bills and a reduced carbon footprint. These opportunities range from maintaining and optimising the performance of existing equipment, to upgrading and replacing equipment.

Who is this guide for?

This guide is aimed at laundry managers, laundry engineers and those responsible for designing and upgrading modern laundries.

Most of the measures in this guide apply to large laundries because these will have most types of equipment installed. Smaller laundries should refer to the advice on the particular equipment that they have installed.

Sector stats

Annual energy consumption: 1,100GWh

Annual CO2 emissions: 265,000 tonnes



Technology overviewThe following sections describe the different types of laundry operations found in the UK, together with the range of equipment that is commonly used and is referred to in this guide.

The distinction between a large and small laundry is blurred. However, a business processing up to 100,000 pieces a week would generally be classed as small, one processing 100,000-400,000 pieces a week medium-sized, and a laundry processing over 400,000 pieces a week would be classed as large.

Small laundries and on-site

launderettes

Small laundries include those that might occupy only one small unit on an industrial estate, or on-site launderettes attached to a care home or a hospital ward. These laundries share a range of common energy management features. They use washer extractors, which differ from domestic automatic washing machines only in their robustness (they may have to perform 20 cycles per day) and in their controls (the best of which are based on a programmable micro-processor). Generally, the washer extractor consumes three times the water and twice the energy of a continuous tunnel washer (CTW) used in larger laundries.

Small laundries dry products in tumble dryers that are either direct-gas fi red or electric. A tumble dryer is the least energy effi cient machine in the laundry. Creased fl atwork (for example, sheets and table linen) is fi nished on a single roll ironer, in which the damp items are brought, under tension, against a rotating heated roller. The roll ironer may also use electric heating or be direct-gas fi red. Small laundries may also have a range of professional hand-fi nishing equipment, including an ironing table equipped with free steam, vacuum and air-blow, each of which can be delivered through the bed of the table on demand. This can be backed up with a former for automatic fi nishing of shaped garments by blowing steam and then hot air through them.

Large laundries and textile

rental plants

A large laundry may wash customers’ own work under contract, or it may operate solely as a textile rental plant. In the latter case, the laundry would own a pool of textile items that it would rent out to users such as hotels and restaurants, or care homes and hospitals. Most London hotels rent their textiles from textile rental plants, as do about half of the NHS hospitals. Shipyards and car factories hire their employees’ garments in just the same way. Some laundries offer both textile rental and contract laundering, but in doing this some of the energy effi ciencies of pure textile rental may be lost. This is because a plant processing a limited range of rental items doesn’t need to separate work by customer, and all items in one classifi cation are similar. Typically, this means that the machines are used more effi ciently – which in turn results in improved energy and water effi ciency.

A large laundry will generally use a CTW for washing. This machine consists of a metal cylinder about 1m-2m in diameter, divided into compartments by an Archimedean screw. Discrete batches of work (each of the same weight in the range of 25kg-100kg) are introduced into one end of the machine, dropping into the loading chute at the left hand side of the drawing. (See fi gure 1). Water enters at the opposite end and fl ows through, generally in a counter-current direction. Heat and chemicals are introduced at the required points in the process. The textiles in the fi rst compartment are wetted out and soiling is softened. The tube then performs a complete rotation and, because of the Archimedean screw internal design, every batch of textiles in the machine is moved forward one compartment. The batch from compartment one moves into compartment two, where the pre-washing continues. It then moves forward into compartment three two minutes later and gradually progresses through the hot wash and several rinse compartments, before fi nally emerging clean and rinsed at the other end some 30 minutes later.


the moisture. The best hydro-extraction presses (see fi gure 2) have a hollow rubber membrane across the head into which water can be pumped. This allows the membrane to take up the irregular shape of the top of the cake of textiles and helps to remove as much water as possible. This is why hydro-extraction presses are often referred to as ‘membrane presses’.

Usually, there isn’t enough time to put the batches of work from the CTW through a hydro-extraction cycle (in a spin dryer), because the next batch is only two minutes away. Therefore, the textiles are de-watered in a hydro-extraction press. In the press the textiles are formed into a fl at cylindrical ‘cake’ or ‘cheese’ and brought beneatha high pressure ram that comes down to squeeze out

Figure 1: Schematic design of continuous tunnel washer

Figure 2: Hydro-extraction press

Hydraulic pump

Main cylinder for press seal

Electrical control box

Press cushion

Connection chute to CTW

Press basket

Cake removal system to shuttle conveyor

Base plate

Credit: Jensen UK Limited



Conveyor RailGarments In

Air filter and fan

Heaterbattery

Turbulent air flow ‘shakes’ garments and de-creases them

De-creased garments fully dried

Garments Out

Steam

Spray

Extract filter/fan to atmosphere

De-watered textiles from the hydro-extraction press are transferred automatically to the next available tumble dryer by shuttle conveyor. Fully dried work is then conveyed forward to an automatic folding machine. Batches of sheets and pillowcases are transferred by barrow, conveyor or overhead bag monorail systems to the fl atwork ironer.

In a large laundry, the ironer line consists of an automatic feeder, the ironer itself and an automatic

folder. In the best plants, the feeder is remote from theironer to enable a buffer stock of sheets, clipped readyfor automatic presentation to the ironer, to be built upby the operatives. The ironer consists of a series ofsemicircular metal beds, (see fi gure 3) usually steamheated, against which the textiles being ironed aredrawn and pressed by a series of padded rollers. The water vapour evaporated from the drying textilesis drawn by vacuum pump through these perforated rollers and is ducted to the atmosphere.

Tape travel direction

Tape guide bar

Dry work out to folder

Calendar tape tension adjuster

Damp work in

Figure 3: Three-roll ironer: the drying sheets follow the path of the guide tapes through the ironer

Figure 4: Plan view showing the function of each zone in the steam air fi nishing tunnel.


Garments in a large laundry are fi nished while damp using a steam air tunnel fi nisher. (See fi gure 4). This uses a conveyor to take wet, wrinkled garments on individual hangers through the fi nishing tunnel, which is divided into three principal zones. The fi rst zone involves a steam spray to warm up the entire garment and promote gravitational de-wrinkling, using the weight of the wet garment on the hanger. The second zone involves a strong downward blast of hot humid air to smooth creasing out of the warm softened fabric, and the third zone uses a downward blast of hot dry air to remove moisture so that the garments emerge dry and crease free after a 20-minute journey through the machine.

Where is energy used in laundering?

Energy is used throughout the laundering process. The key energy-using stages are described below.

Heat energy is used in washing to swell cotton fi bres and speed the wash chemistry to release soiling quickly and completely. High temperatures must be maintained in the wash to achieve implied thermal disinfection, which is imperative for healthcare work and highly advisable for hospitality textiles.

Heat energy is used in drying to evaporate the moisture remaining after washing and hydro-extraction. Effective hydro-extraction (either by high speed ‘spin-drying’ or by the use of a hydro-extraction press) can signifi cantly reduce the amount of drying energy required.

Electrical energy is used to power the laundry machinery to achieve agitation in the wash process, to maximise hydro-extraction and to transport textiles around the laundry and through the equipment. It also powers the lighting, the ventilation fans, the water pumps, the boiler burner and fans and the air compressor.

% of energy used

CTW

Washer extractor

Calenders

Tunnel finishers

Presses

Tumble dryers

8%

27%

13%15%

3%

34%

Compressed air is used in laundering for the automatic sheet folding machines, for opening and closing pneumatic control valves and rams and occasionally for transporting textiles around the laundry.

Dry cleaning

Some laundries have a dry cleaning department for items that cannot be safely laundered, such as cotton suite covers, wool suits, acetate evening gowns and silk wedding dresses. The dry cleaning process involves several different steps.

Firstly, the item is sorted with similar items to make up a load for the dry cleaning machine. Before the load is placed in the machine, most stains require pre-treatment at the stain removal table and some must be removed totally. Dry cleaning solvent will dissolve oil and grease stains, but water-based stains, such as blood, will not dissolve and if untreated will harden, darken and become irremovable during the drying cycle.

The items are then placed in the dry cleaning machine. This resembles a domestic washer-dryer, but instead of water it uses a liquid solvent. The most common solvent is pure perchloroethylene. After the solvent wash, the items are spin dried and the machine then becomes a tumble dryer. All traces of solvent are evaporated off before the door can safely be opened without exposure to solvent fumes. The air that has been used for tumble drying is then chilled to condense out the solvent vapour, and then both air and solvent are reused. The dirty solvent is purifi ed continuously by fi ltration to remove solids, and at the end of the cycle it is distilled to remove dissolved contaminants. The process of distillation involves boiling the solvent to drive off pure solvent vapour which is then condensed to recreate pure liquid solvent.

Dry cleaned garments require less fi nishing than laundered ones, because they are virtually crease-free. Nevertheless, dry cleaning requires about the same amount of energy per kilogram cleaned as laundering. The principles of managing energy use in dry cleaning are given later in this guide (see page 14).

Further information

Compressed air technology overview (CTV017)



Taking a critical look at your laundryThe most energy effi cient laundries are those that follow just a few basic principles. These are described below.

Load equipment to its maximum capacity

A washer extractor or a CTW that is under-loaded by 15% uses the same amount of water, steam and power as a fully loaded one – so under-loading by 15% simply increases the unit energy consumption by the same amount.

● If the entire heated area of an ironing machine is covered with textiles being ironed and dried, the thermal effi ciency will always be better than an ironer dealing with items with big gaps around them.

● The heat energy per item for a garment tunnel fi nisher will be minimised if there is a garment on every peg, instead of every other peg. The poorest energy consumption is produced by random distribution on the conveyor pegs as a result of a poorly maintained feeder.

Classify work correctly

If dirty kitchen cloths are washed in a mild process designed for pillow cases, they will need to be rewashed – doubling the wash energy consumption as a result. If printed curtains are washed at 75°C instead of 40°C, the wash water will have to be heated through 60°C (from 15°C to 75°C) instead of 25°C (from 15°C to 40°C). This means that half of the heat energy in the wash will be wasted, and most of the print could come off.

Optimise hydro-extraction

In energy terms, it costs fi ve times more to evaporate moisture from a sheet on an ironing machine than it does to spin it or squeeze it out using hydro-extraction. Tumble drying a litre of water from a load of terry towels uses 15 times more energy than spinning it or squeezing it out.

Minimise tumble drying

Leaving bed sheets for four or fi ve minutes longer in a tumble dryer in order to run the ironing machine faster can be a waste of tumble dryer time and energy use. The best laundries optimise mechanical hydro-extraction and then tune the ironer to dry the sheets properly.

Use energy minimisation features of

washers

In order to improve the way a CTW uses energy, the classifi cation bags in the monorail sorting area are fi tted to weighing devices. The latest weighing device designs automatically release the bag and send it forward once the correct load weight is achieved, to allow maximum capacity loading. It is important to monitor this process to check that the correct weight is being achieved consistently. Marking this with red tape on the scale will help to highlight this to laundry operatives.

In energy terms, it costs fi ve times more to evaporate moisture from a sheet on an ironing machine than it does to spin it or squeeze it out using hydro-extraction.

Did you know….?

A tumble dryer is the least energy effi cient item in

any laundry, with often only about one-third of its

energy input being used to evaporate moisture –

and the remainder being wasted as hot air.


The micro-processor that controls a modern washer extractor has sensors, which enable the water level (the ‘dip’) in the cage to be adjusted precisely for every stage of each programme. This should be minimised (by trial and error if necessary) to achieve a typical pre-wash dip of 125mm, a typical wash dip of 75mm and a rinse dip no greater than is necessary to avoid yellowing in drying, which can be caused by residual wash chemicals. If machine time is not at a premium, then water consumption can be reduced even further by using more rinses, but at a much lower level.

If a variable speed drive is fi tted to the washer extractor motor, the rotational speed for the wash should be adjusted to minimise creasing of polyester cotton workwear garments, enabling the maximum load factor to be achieved without pressure creases in the hot-wash. This will in turn minimise the heat energy required per unit weight of load.

Last, the fi nal spin speed and time should be adjusted according to the fabric. For cotton goods, the spin speed should be set to the maximum possible - and the spin time should be set so that if it is increased by another minute, no more water is extracted. For polyester cotton garments, the spin time and spin speed should be adjusted by trial and error to obtain the minimum moisture content with no pressure creases. This results in the tunnel fi nisher delivering the greatest productivity – while using the least energy.

Optimise the performance of

hydro-extraction presses

The hydro-extraction press (usually a membrane press) at the end of the CTW must perform effectively to minimise dryer times and maintain dryer productivity. This means ‘tuning’ the hydro-extraction press to give the maximum time at its maximum pressure, while still completing the hydro-extraction within the cycle time of the CTW. A troubleshooting guide for optimisation of the hydro-extraction press is provided opposite:

Figure 5: CTW with monorail sorting area

S S S

Correct load weights

Correct flow adjustment

Tanks clear of blockages Pumps working

No press hold-ups No tumble dryer holds



Cool-down flapHeater battery

Air exhaust

Air inlets

Fan

Air flow

Lintbox

Optimise performance of

tumble dryers

Improving hydro-extraction will free up tumble dryers and remove a potential bottleneck in every laundry. However, items such as terry towels must still be fully dried and will therefore require a tumble drying stage. The energy consumed in this process can be minimised by ‘tuning’ the tumble dryer so that it delivers a drying time close to that of a brand new dryer. A tuning checklist for optimising the tumble drying process is provided overleaf.

Figure 6: A typical steam heated tumble dryer

Problem Recommendation

Ultimate press pressure is found to be below specifi cation

Ask a laundry engineer to check for a worn pressure pump or leaks in the system, and repair urgently. A reduced press pressure will result in reduced hydro-extraction and a higher energy demand on equipment such as tumble dryers.

Insuffi cient time at full pressure If the hydro-extraction press spends less than 60 seconds at full pressure (less than 30 seconds if the press generates over 30bar), then this should be increased by tuning the ‘wait’ times in the computer sequence to an optimum level. This will maximise the extraction of water by the press and minimise the energy used by drying processes further down the line.

Textile temperature has not been optimised

Manufacturers’ press results are normally quoted at 25°C. If the rinse water temperature is raised to say 45-50°C then moisture retention may be reduced by 1%-4%, reducing the amount of energy that will then be required by further drying methods. This should be taken into account when evaluating the benefi ts of waste heat recovery from hot effl uent, in order to raise the rinse water temperature.

Moisture retention is over 50% (ie the weight of water associated with 1kg dry weight of textiles exceeds 500g)

A maximum limit of 50% moisture retention for sheeting and 52% for towels is necessary in order to dry economically in the tumblers and on the ironer. If moisture retention is higher than this, the press should be re-tuned or repaired to achieve a greater pressure or greater time at pressure in order to reduce moisture retention.

A troubleshooting guide for the hydro-extraction press


Tuning the tumble dryer

Frequency Action

Laundry operator tasks

Every load Keep the lint screen clear of lint, which can block the dryer fan and ductwork, resulting in a less effi cient drying process. This should be carried out every load for free standing dryers and every hour for those on a CTW line.

Ensure that the dryer is not overloaded, as this can lead to ineffi cient drying.

Every day Check for holes in the lint screen, reporting any fi ndings to the laundry engineer. The lint screen helps to prevent lint blockage of the dryer fan and ductwork.

Every month Check the moisture retention of the work you are drying on a regular basis – at least monthly, unless you get variable results, in which case weekly. Investigate any results greater than 50% for sheets and 52% for towels. A high level of moisture retention may indicate that the hydro-extraction press requires tuning. Keeping moisture retention below these guidelines will minimise dryer times and energy consumption.

Laundry engineer tasks

Every month Ensure that the steam heating system is maintained in good condition. Make sure there is good trapping and air venting to maximise heat transfer to the items to be dried and to avoid water-logging of the heater battery.

Ensure that the steam-heated battery is maintained in good condition, with clear screens above the battery and no lint blockage between the fi nned tubes, to maximise heat transfer to the items to be dried.

Examine the airways into the rotating cage to ensure there is no bypassing around the sides of the cage, and that no cold air can leak into the cage through a poorly fi tting door seal. Any air leaks identifi ed should be repaired as soon as possible, prioritising the largest leaks. This will help the dryer to maintain the required temperature effi ciently.

Check for, and clear, any melted plastic or other contamination blocking the cage perforations, as this can reduce airfl ow and lead to increased drying times.

Every six months Ensure that any gas burner is serviced by a competent engineer, in order to maintain the fl ow of hot air to the cage at the correct temperature and fl ow-rate, to give effi cient drying.

Every year Check for slipping drive belts or other causes of incorrect rotational speed, especially if the textiles do not lift and drop from the ‘11 o’clock position’ when viewed through the door. An optimal rotational speed will help to ensure effi cient drying times.

Clear any lint from the fan and ductwork to maximise the fl ow of drying air.



Energy managementThere are a number of energy saving steps that a laundry can take to reduce its carbon footprint and its energy bill.

Day-to-day steps

The following actions should be carried out on a day-to-day basis to ensure effi cient energy use in laundering:

● Monitor your energy performance by working out your key performance indicators: kWh/kg washed and litres water/kg washed. Do this weekly or monthly, and plot the results on a wall chart, with the target you are working towards. Devise your target from the benchmarks that follow then mark your targets on the chart and work out the next step towards this. Discuss the results with your staff to get their ideas and acknowledge their successes.

● Decide on a priority list for energy saving actions and keep this just long enough for the capacity of your team to deliver results from it. As the top item gets completed, add another to the end.

● Have a daily purge on housekeeping to get rid of untidy random piles of work, so that full loads can be made up easily and systematically and work fl ows smoothly down pre-determined fl ow-lines.

● Make sure that operator maintenance tasks are carried out every day, at the correct intervals, especially cleaning the fi lters of tumble dryers and waxing ironers.

● Carry out ongoing maintenance to correct leaks and rectify poorly seating valves, improve tumble dryer seals and check weighing machine accuracy. You should also continuously upgrade the insulation of hot pipework to include fl anges and fi ttings. Involve your engineering team to the full as they are vital to success.

Energy benchmarks and targets

The best way to keep tabs on how effi ciently your laundry is using energy is to add together the various forms of energy consumed, in kilowatt hours, over the accounting period (usually one week or one calendar month). Electricity, gas and oil invoices all state the price per kilowatt hour and the number of units consumed or delivered. Coal invoices can be readily converted into kilowatt hours, with help from the supplier if necessary.

Most laundries calculate throughput either in kilograms or pieces of work, per week or per month. In order to compare your consumption data with a benchmark, the throughput must be in kilograms not pieces. For a mixed laundry, the average piece weight will be in the range of 450g-500g/piece. For a specialised laundry it is best to weigh a sample of the goods to calculate the average weight per piece. It does not matter if the average piece weight is slightly out or if it varies up and down week to week. Any error will be constant and the laundry team will be able to see your improvements from a consistent base.

The key performance indicator used across the sector is kilowatt hours of energy consumed per kilogram of textiles laundered, abbreviated to kWh/kg. The data overleaf gives an overview:


The current performance range data is designed to help laundries see where they lie in the present spectrum. This data is not intended to be defi nitive. There are one or two very effi cient small laundries processing less than 100,000 pieces a week and achieving below 1.6kWh/kg, as a result of good management, meticulous engineering and shrewd investment in heat recycling equipment.

The benchmarks given represent a fi rst point of reference for any launderer trying to assess the value of improving energy effi ciency by following the detailed advice in this guide. As in many sectors, the range of performance varies widely between most effi cient and least effi cient. This is why organisations which have not yet addressed energy effi ciency seriously are often amazed at how easily the fi rst 20% saving is made. This can then be used to fi nance the next 10% saving.

The ranges of performance indicated by the benchmarks should suggest the overall improvement possible for your operation. It will then be necessary to take a critical look at the way your laundry currently operates in order to prioritise future energy saving actions. Remember three important points:

● it may take two years to realise most of your ambitions

● your fi rst 20% saving might take one year and involve little or no investment

● all members of your team working together and publishing their achievements on the canteen notice board are likely to achieve more than any one person working alone and reporting to you.

Organisations that have not yet addressed energy effi ciency seriously are often amazed at how easily the fi rst 20% saving is made.

Type of laundry Current range of

performance (kWh/kg)

Target range of

performance (kWh/kg)

Very small on-premises laundries/self service launderettes on-site

3.5-5.6 3.0-3.6

Small commercial laundries and on-premises laundries processing fewer than 100,000 pieces/week

2.1-3.9 2.0-2.9

Medium-sized laundries processing 100,000-400,000 pieces/week

2.0-3.1 1.7-1.9

Large modern laundries processing over 400,000pieces/week

1.6-2.8 1.3-1.6

Best laundries in the British Isles below 1.3 below 1.2

Performance indicators for laundries



Operator involvement

The laundry operator frequently has the most infl uence over unit energy consumption. Operator training should cover the following as a minimum to realise the energy saving opportunities available.

● Under-loading should be avoided whenever possible – by combining classifi cations if need be. Under-loading a 25kg batch of work by 1kg for the CTW increases the energy and water consumption per kg washed by 4%.

● Operatives must be meticulous about programme selection, aided by clear charts at the point of use that are kept in good condition by laundry management. Accidentally washing one-night lightly soiled printed duvets on an oily boiler suit programme could increase the wash energy requirement by about 50% if the boiler suit process is at 85°C and the duvet process is only at 40°C.

● Programme times are sacrosanct and no one should have authority to change them. Shortening the fi nal spin time for towels in a washer extractor to get more work out increases the drying energy by up to double what it should be.

● Tumble dryer lint screens must be cleaned at the proper intervals. Forgetting to do this, so that towels are still damp after 15 minutes, may result in the need for an extra fi ve minutes drying time – increasing drying energy by 0.5kWh per kilogram of towels.

● CTW settings are often determined with expensive help from the detergent supplier and no one should be permitted to adjust these. Increasing the temperature setting for the hot-wash zone in the CTW by only 5°C will increase the CTW heat energy consumption by 7%.

● The ironer will only deliver energy effi cient drying if the heated bed is covered with drying sheets. Running the ironer with a long gap between the sheets so that half of the heating capacity is unused will result in poor output and wasted energy heating the air in the laundry.

● The tunnel fi nisher will only deliver perfect quality, high output and energy effi ciency if it is fully loaded. Running the garment tunnel fi nisher with one polyester cotton coat on every other peg will halve the output and double the fi nishing energy per coat, when compared with loading on every peg.

● Floor marks and boot prints from careless handling are the most diffi cult marks to remove. Dropping items on the fl oor so that they need to be re-washed doubles the entire energy cost for washing and fi nishing. And if the marks do not come out they will then have to be thrown away.

Housekeeping

Textile rental plants have a big advantage over contract laundries, in that prices are so competitive that they have to establish minimum-cost fl ow-lines. This allows the textiles to fl ow rapidly through the plant, so that they are into stock and ready for delivery the next morning. This means no odd piles of linen for particular customers, no stacks of speciality chemicals and no customer-owned stock on a Tuesday waiting for Friday delivery. The emphasis on cost-management means that every item has to be in service, earning its keep, and not cluttering up the laundry fl oor.

The best contract laundries have followed this example and developed fl ow-lines for work through the plant. This helps with energy management because it encourages full loads with conveyor handling and no goods on the fl oor. The laundry is run fl at-out at its most effi cient until the day’s work is exhausted. Market competition does not allow a laundry that is less busy in the winter than in the summer to let its productivity slip back during the winter months.

This requires meticulous housekeeping, so that every item has its place and batches are clearly labelled – or are placed in colour-coded containers if necessary – and everyone knows the destination for the work they are handling. Items are not allowed to fall on the fl oor and, where sometimes this cannot be avoided (under the ironer or at the feed-station), then the fl oor surface is designed to avoid marks and re-washing.

The disciplines which textile rental brings to a business give a fl ying start with energy management, but the same thinking can bring exactly the same advantages to even the smallest on-site launderette operation.


Staff training

Every employee has a part to play in managing energy use. It is important to defi ne this role and to empower them to achieve it. Use the NVQ in Laundry Operations at level 2 for the operative and use the Guild Laundry Supervisor Certifi cate syllabus for the management team (see Useful Addresses on page 23). The Guild syllabuses set out the training framework and cost very little – just a few pounds. Training of operators to NVQ level 2 currently attracts 100% funding for most operatives in England under the UK Government’s Train to Gain programme.

Energy management in the dry

cleaning department

Skilled stain removal is vital to energy management in dry cleaning, because it avoids the need for re-treatment of stains after cleaning and consequent re-cleaning, doubling the energy consumption for the affected articles.

The dry cleaning machine operation involves a cold wash in liquid solvent, so the only energy consumption during the wash is electric power for the rotating drive. The same applies to the spin dry stage, when the cage is rotated at high speed to extract as much solvent as possible – it is much cheaper to spin it out than it is to evaporate in the tumble dry stage in warm air. Perchloroethylene solvent is 60% heavier than water, so a three-minute spin is usually suffi cient, except for thick, heavy and bulky items, when it should be increased to four minutes.

About half of the heat energy consumed in the dry cleaning machine is used during tumble drying, and the latest machines use a heat pump to recycle heat from the condensing vapour to pre-heat the solvent-free air returned to the cage for the drying process. This trims about 30% of the heat energy requirement. Note that because the drying air-stream circulates on a closed cycle there is no heat loss to the atmosphere as in a laundry tumble dryer.

The other half of the heat energy in dry cleaning is used to distil dirty solvents to remove dissolved contaminants. The solvent is boiled and comes off the purifi cation still as a vapour, which is condensed using a water-cooled coil to give pure solvent for reuse. The best laundries recycle the warm water from this coil into the washhouse.

Energy management in dry cleaning therefore relies on the following principles:

1. Processing full loads wherever possible and offering service times which mean this can be achieved. As much energy is required to process a half-load as a full one.

2. Pre-treating and/or removing all water-based stains and diffi cult solvent-based stains such as paint and glue, to eliminate re-cleans.

3. Ensuring every cycle has a fi nal spin of at least three minutes, increasing this to four minutes for very heavy items, such as suite covers or multi-layer curtains. This effi cient spin ensures that the drying energy is minimised, as spinning to remove liquid solvent uses less energy than tumble drying.

4. Removing items from the dry cleaning machine as soon as the cycle has fi nished.

Modern dry cleaning machines vary in the amount of energy they use, and this information is available when they are fi rst purchased. Several factors need to be taken into account, such as which solvent is to be used. Generally, this is determined by the type of work, but even with one solvent it will be found that machines differ in their energy needs. This is because of the different ways in which heat pumps and energy recycling technologies are integrated into the design.



Equipment and systems maintenanceLaundry equipment requires expert and regular maintenance in order to work correctly and deliver the energy effi ciency for which it was designed.

Role of the laundry maintenance

engineer

There are four different areas where a laundry’s maintenance team can have a big impact in helping to save energy:

● The equipment must be checked weekly (sometimes daily), and appropriate components repaired or cleaned, so that it works reliably in the way intended. This could involve:

– clearing wax from vacuum fans and ducts on the ironers

– repairing holes in grilles above the tumble dryer heater batteries to prevent lint blockage

– adjusting hanger delivery mechanisms at the tunnel fi nisher to give one garment per peg.

● The equipment must be tuned every three months (sometimes more often), so that it works in the best way to deliver energy effi ciency, design output and the correct quality. This could include actions such as:

– adjusting the ‘wait’ times in the hydro-extraction press programme to maximise the time at pressure

– adjusting the roll-to-roll stretch at the ironer to improve the heat transfer over the gap pieces between the rolls

– adjusting the end-of-cycle terminators on the tumble dryers so that they leave 8% moisture in the towels.

● There are many opportunities for engineering innovations in the laundry. The engineering team is best placed to identify these, such as the most appropriate way to recycle washhouse water and heat energy, how to separate tangled sheets to speed the ironer feeding operation and where an inverter drive could be of most use in controlling electrical power demand.

● Reliable utilities delivered to each piece of equipment on demand, of the right quality and at minimum cost are the backbone of the modern laundry. Measures include:

– making sure power to the CTW computer is free of peaks to avoid unintended programme changes

– ensuring steam to the ironers is dry and at a consistent high pressure to enable it to operate at maximum thermal effi ciency

– making sure compressed air is dry and oiled to enable smooth and correct operation of ironer rams and washer extractor valves.

Maintenance engineer’s energy

management review

In keeping the plant running, it is easy to forget how proper engineering can improve energy effi ciency. Below are typical examples of checks that should be undertaken by a laundry maintenance engineer conducting an energy management review:

● Make sure automatic weighing machines are all displaying accurately and triggering at the correct weight. This ensures there are no energy-wasting under-loaded batches and no heavy bags with associated risk of CTW blockage.

● Check if the hydro-extraction press at the CTW is tuned to give design performance – market leaders are now achieving below 45% moisture retention by adjusting the wait times correctly in the computer controlled sequence. This minimises both tumbler dryer energy consumption and drying times.

● Ensure that the tumble dryer energy checklist is completed and all dryers are delivering design drying speeds with minimum energy consumption.

● Check that automatic drying cycle terminators are adjusted to give 6-8% moisture retention for terry towels.

Maintenance measures

Maintenance teams can save energy in four ways:

● check equipment daily

● tune equipment every three months

● suggest engineering innovations in the laundry

● make sure the right utilities for each piece of equipment are delivered.


● Make sure ironer lines are adjusted to give as near to full coverage over the heated beds as possible. This means automatic feeders are adjusted to give edge-to-edge feeding and roll-to-roll speed differentials correctly set to give 50mm stretch in 10 turns of an 800mm diameter roll.

● Ensure that garment tunnel fi nishers are correctly adjusted to give: correct steam spray at the tunnel inlet with no wastage, maximum hot-air recycle ratio to produce garments that are just dry, and a reliable automatic garment loading system that provides one garment per peg for fastest fi nishing.

Checkpoints for the control engineer

The following are the key areas for ensuring that energy consumption is minimised. These areas are present in most laundries, but are often overlooked or poorly maintained.

1. Automatic weighing mechanisms functioning correctly so that they trigger reliably at precisely the right weight, thus avoiding under-loading losses.

2. Reliable temperature indicators and controls in each stage of the wash process, which accurately deliver the target temperature with no over-shoot.

3. Accurate pressure indication at the hydro-extraction press on the CTW line. This ensures the ‘time at pressure’ can be verifi ed by the passing supervisor or engineer to confi rm adequate moisture is being removed cheaply and mechanically.

4. Regular measurement of the actual moisture retention of cotton terry towels after hydro-extraction. This allows comparison with benchmark data to ensure that predicted performance is being realised. This is done by weighing a batch of wet towels after hydro-extraction, drying the load to bone dry and then reweighing. From these weights the moisture content of the wet towels is calculated as a percentage of the bone dry weight.

5. Accurate inlet and outlet temperature indication and controls for tumble dryers to achieve consistently fast drying, with no over-drying and no fabric damage.

6. Correctly functioning temperature and steam pressure indicators for the ironer to avoid slowdown and excessive operating hours.

7. Precise and accurate speed controls for the ironer, so that the heat output is always fully utilised.

8. Regular measurement of the residual moisture content of cotton sheets to confi rm hydro-extraction has minimised the demand for expensive ironer heat energy.

9. Routine monitoring of internal, invisible leakages of steam (into washer extractors and CTWs and via steam traps), to minimise steam consumption and minimise energy going to waste via the condensate main. This requires tight-closing steam control valves and an ultrasonic steam trap leak detector (or a remote automatic system).

10. Routine monitoring of the fl ash steam utilisation system, to verify that all waste low pressure steam is being effectively used to replace high pressure mains steam, kilogram for kilogram. This requires a correctly functioning fl ash vessel pressure indicator and surplussing valve.

11. Routine monitoring of the fl ow and temperature of the warm recovered water from the integrated heat and water recycling system, to confi rm that demand is being satisfi ed and not hindered by imbalance or blocked fi lters. This in turn requires mimic board controls that show the delivery position at a glance.

Role of maintenance-free systems

In laundries where maintenance time and manpower is at a premium, there is a good argument for installing maintenance-free systems, which do not require the operator or engineer to remember to carry out a task at the appropriate intervals. The most relevant for energy management are:

● Automatic lint screen clearing mechanisms for tumble dryers, which remove lint as it collects and so keep all of the dryers operating at peak effi ciency. This is even more effective than clearing the screen manually after every load.

● Automatic steam trap leakage detection systems, which enable a faulty steam trap to be detected and isolated for repair without accessing individual traps.

● Automatic boiler blowdown. This enables a steam boiler to operate with the absolute minimum of heat loss while still maintaining total dissolved solids in the boiler water at a safe level, and below that which might allow priming when a large washer extractor calls for steam injection. In hard water areas in particular, this can trim 2%-4% off the laundry fuel consumption.



Reducing future energy consumptionThere are a number of energy saving options that laundries may not be currently using, but may wish to take advantage of as opportunities arise.

A number of novel strategies have been adopted by leading laundries which have resulted in outstandingly low energy consumption. Two such successful ideas are given below.

Fabric selection

Cotton fi bres absorb far more water than polyester fi bres, and therefore come out of the washing machine wetter and more creased than polyester, requiring far more drying and fi nishing energy as a result. Launderers engaged in textile rental have some control over fabric selection and in order to minimise energy consumption, the rental launderer should always aim to use polyester or polyester cotton as the fabric of choice. The latest innovations in yarn design and fabric construction now enable the look, feel and breathability of a pure cotton fabric to be achieved with a blend of polyester and cotton (and sometimes with pure polyester). This means that energy saving by this route no longer impacts on user comfort - and it has even been successfully implemented for healthcare.

Low-temperature washing

It is possible to wash at low temperature, although this can result in increased complexity and cost of chemicals as the benefi ts of high water temperature are lost. For laundries, the major obstacle to low-temperature washing has historically been the fact that the UK Department of Health has only recognised thermal disinfection for hospitality textiles, healthcare work and food industry workwear. This is set to change and new guidelines are now in preparation that are anticipated to embrace chemical disinfection, with very stringent safeguards.

The probable model for healthcare textiles in the future is that disinfection will follow the food sector workwear requirements, and be based on the European standard for control of bio-contamination in laundries, EN 14065. In this event, low-temperature washing coupled with assured chemical disinfection is likely to become widespread, and the opportunities for launderers to reduce their carbon footprint will increase as a result. This will produce a step reduction in the energy use of the sector.

Upgrading existing equipment

Washer extractors

There are three vital improvements that can be incorporated when renovating washer extractors, and the machine supplier should be asked for assistance with retro-fi tting the appropriate equipment.

1. A variable speed drive for the main motor will allow precise control of rotational speed in the wash, optimum selection of fi nal spin speed and greatly reduced electrical consumption. The VSD is purchased as a bolt-on addition to the motor assembly.

2. A micro-processor based replacement controller will enable different water levels and temperatures to be programmed for every stage of each wash cycle, minimising the heat energy used for each wash. The micro-processor replaces the original card or drum controller.

3. A damped dip-tube mounted alongside the machine will enable verifi cation of correct water levels. If necessary, water levels can be retuned to 125mm pre-wash and 75mm main-wash, the detergent dosage adjusted to maintain wash quality and then rinse levels adjusted to the minimum necessary to avoid yellowing, with interspins between the rinses. Typical savings in wash-energy and water are 30% each. Although a damped dip-tube can usually be purchased from the original manufacturer, many laundries choose to make their own from a length of 50mm Perspex tube, a fl exible connection to the washer extractor sump and a length of centimetre scale tape.

Continuous tunnel washers

Conversion of a laundry from washer extractors to a CTW will immediately reduce heat energy consumption because of the internal recycling of heat, water and chemicals that is inherent in the CTW design. This makes the heat energy requirement for washing so low that many laundries can now meet it with waste heat from the condensate main (in the form of fl ash steam), effectively running the washhouse on free heat.


The condensate main is the pipe carrying the liquid condensate from steam-heated ironers. Because the condensate is formed at high-pressure, there is always low-pressure steam associated with it, which can be separated and put to use, rather than being allowed to vent off as waste heat from the boiler house.

Effl uent heat recovery

Typically an effl uent heat exchanger (which uses the heat in hot effl uent water to pre-heat incoming fresh water) will be 30% smaller and 15% cheaper, if water consumption is fi rst minimised. This is because implementing standard measures to improve water economy, by setting the water levels correctly, usually reduces consumption by around 30%.

There are several designs of heat exchanger available for transferring waste heat from the dirty effl uent from the washhouse, and using this to pre-heat the incoming softened cold water. These systems work well and will potentially deliver an energy saving of 5%-10% of the total laundry demand for heat energy. In order to realise this saving, the recovered heat must be correctly integrated with the wash process design. For a CTW, this means keeping the pre-wash zone below 40°C to avoid setting of protein stains. For washer extractors it means wetting out the textiles with tempered water (a mixture of hot and cold). For both systems, the effectiveness can be greatly improved by combining effl uent heat recovery with the use of fl ash steam. This type of refurbishment can massively increase washhouse output, in addition to reducing energy consumption.

Did you know…?

Converting a laundry from the use of washer

extractors to a CTW can reduce heat energy

consumption for washing by up to 50%.

Did you know…?

Flash steam from the condensate main can also

be used to pre-heat the wash water for washer

extractors, saving around 10% of the entire laundry

energy demand.

Ironers

Water vapour from the drying sheets is removed by vacuum suction through the porous cladding on ironer rolls. It is drawn away through the centres of the hollow rolls, by vacuum fans and ducted to the atmosphere. Re-cladding the rolls with clothing that is more porous and which gives a perfect roll-to-bed fi t will improve both the transfer of heat to the drying sheet and the removal of water vapour by the vacuum system. This is typically achieved with two turns of stronger polyester needle-felt around each roll, to replace the three turns of thinner material used historically. This can improve ironer performance by up to and over 30% with a marked reduction in unit energy consumption (by reducing standing losses as a fraction of the total).

Tumble dryers

Retro-fi tting a dryer with an automatic end-of-cycle terminator will eliminate over-drying and the associated greying, as well as static and excess energy use. An infrared detector that leaves 8% moisture in a terry towel will give the optimum benefi t. There is no requirement to dry off more moisture than this because a completely dry towel will simply pick up humidity from the atmosphere.

Refurbishing with new equipment

There is a range of energy saving features available that laundries should be aware of when purchasing new equipment. These are described below.

Washer extractors

Washer extractors are the preferred machine for washing contaminated textiles from healthcare users and for economic processing in small laundries. The most energy-effi cient designs have micro-processor controls and variable speed drives fi tted as standard, and the best have integral weighing. This enables the micro-processor to compensate for load weight by adjusting the dip and the chemical dosages, which in turn reduces the energy required to heat the wash water. Even without integral weighing, the availability of, say, 99 programmes within the micro-processor enables the inclusion of shorter, cooler cycles for lightly soiled classifi cations and for half loads and quarter loads if commercial economics make these essential. Laundries planning to process cotton



towels should buy a washer extractor which gives a high G-force in the fi nal extract stage. Look for over 350G, the higher the better. This will minimise moisture retention after the spin cycle and hence minimise the requirement for drying energy. The G-force can be calculated from the cage diameter and the rotational speed in rpm using the formula G=0.56n2d/106 (where n=rotational speed in rpm and d= cage diameter in cm).

Continuous tunnel washers

If the washing output exceeds 250kg/hr, it is most economic to process this in a CTW – the wash energy saving alone is 50%. This is because of the internal heat and water recycling within the CTW which is not present in a washer extractor.

Hydro-extraction presses

The maximum hydro-extraction press pressures now available have risen to over 50 bar. This means that it is possible to squeeze out wash water from the rinsed textiles so as to leave only 40%-45% moisture retention (ie 400g-450g moisture per kilogram of dry textiles). This dramatically reduces both the heat energy used for tumble drying, as well as drying times, greatly improving tumble dryer productivity. Low-energy laundries generally use the highest press pressure they can obtain and accommodate and tune the press cycle to give the maximum possible time at maximum pressure. Only then are all of the potential energy economies actually realised.

Tumble dryers

A UK Department of Energy demonstration project at Bourne Laundry in 1987 demonstrated the energy saving benefi ts of axial air-fl ow through the tumble dryer, when compared with the conventional radial fl ow. Axial fl ow dryers are now commonly available and give a small but useful reduction in energy consumption, as the air path through the work is longer and better controlled. This means that more of the heat in the drying air-stream is used to evaporate moisture. If these dryers are coupled with automatic cycle terminators to eliminate any over-drying, the result is the lowest energy consumption currently possible for fully dried work. Direct gas-fi red dryers (and garment tunnel fi nishers) have about one third less energy consumption than steam heated ones because they avoid boiler fl ue and steam distribution losses – all of the heat in the burning gas goes into the dryer or fi nisher.

Sheet feeders

The critical factor in achieving maximum ironer performance is the ability of the sheet feeder to keep the heated bed of the ironer covered, in order to make use of all of the energy available. The latest feeding systems, which are consistently the fastest and most energy effi cient, are loaded by the operatives remote from the ironer, transferred sequentially by a corner clipped to an overhead monorail and laid down automatically onto the ironer feed bands. The queue of clipped sheets formsan intermediate bank of work to provide a consistentfl ow of textiles, allowing the operatives to take breaks, fetch another load and so on. Meanwhile, the ironer continues to operate with all of the heated bed covered with drying sheets. This in turn requires precise set-up and adjustment, as the economy does not come from simply buying the best equipment, it must also be used correctly.

Ironers

Most ironer models now come with energy retaininghoods as standard, improving energy consumption (byabout 5%), workroom safety and workroom conditions.The greatest improvement in the design of currentironers has been the emergence of the thin fl exible bedto replace the rigid steam chest (see fi gure 7). This meansthat the wet work to be ironed is now drawn between theclothed roll and the fl exible bed, and because the bedfollows the shape of the roll precisely, the heat transferis optimum. Even double-thickness duvet covers can bedried effectively and rapidly in a single pass.

Figure 7: The latest designs of ironers use very thin fl exible steam chests to improve the roll-to-bed fi t and enhance energy performance

Polished, waxed curved surface

Sheet flow (out)

Sheet flow (in)

Internally-heated steam chest

Trailing edge

Leading edge


Glossary

Air-blow Feature of a press or garment body-former capable of blowing hot air through the fabric to dry and set it in a crease-free condition.

Bag A batch of work for the continuous tunnel washer.

Base plate Perforated plate at the bottom of the hydro-extraction press, through which the extracted water drains.

Bio-contamination The concentration or presence of micro-organisms in wash water or on the laundered textiles.

Blowdown Dirty water discharged regularly from the laundry boiler to prevent the build-up of impurities.

Cage The perforated basket of a washer extractor or tumble dryer into which the textiles are placed for processing.

Cake, cheese Alternative terms for cylindrical batch of de-watered textiles from the membrane press.

Condensate The high pressure hot water formed when steam condenses and gives up its heat to the laundry process.

Condensate main The pipe which carries the water produced by condensing steam back to the boiler house.

Connection chute The shaped metal component which guides the wet work from the rinse zone of a CTW into the hydro-extraction press.

Continuous tunnel washer (CTW)

A multi-stage washing machine in which the work being washed advances from stage to stage via an Archimedean screw.

Cycle A complete programme, eg in a washing machine.

Damped dip tube A transparent tube at the side of a washer extractor, constricted to produce a stable indication of water level.

De-watered Textiles from which the moisture has been largely removed by spinning in a washer extractor or squeezing in a membrane press.

Dip The water level in a washer extractor measured from the inside of the rotating cage at the lowest point.

Direct gas-fi red Laundry equipment (usually tumble dryer or tunnel fi nisher) which incorporates a gas burner as its source of heating.

Distillation Purifi cation of dry cleaning solvent by boiling it in a still to generate pure solvent vapour, which can then be condensed for reuse.

Door seal A strip of compressible foam padding around door openings designed to prevent cold air leakage into a tumble dryer.

Dry cleaning Stain removal, washing in liquid solvent and expert pressing.

Effl uent The dirty water discharged from the pre-wash and from the main-wash.

End-of-cycle terminator

A device on a tumble dryer which senses when the goods are dry and automatically ends the cycle.

Filtration The removal of solid contamination by passing liquid through a fabric, mesh or screen.

Finishing Ironing or pressing.

Flash steam The low pressure steam liberated when high pressure liquid condensate enters the condensate main.



Flatwork Sheets, towels, pillowcases and table linen.

Free-steam Laundry equipment which is capable of blowing steam directly through the item.

G-force The force exerted on the wet textiles by spinning in a washer extractor.

Heater battery A device consisting of metal tubes (sometimes with metal fi ns fi tted to them) inside which steam condenses, giving up its heat to the drying air stream in the process. Used in tumble dryers and garment tunnel fi nishers.

Hydro-extraction press

The de-watering device at the end of a continuous tunnel washer, consisting of a high pressure ram and a cylindrical press basket (also called a membrane press).

Hydraulic pump See pressure pump.

Injectors Devices for introducing steam into the wash water in a continuous tunnel washer.

Interspin A short low-speed spin inserted between the rinses in a washer extractor programme to reduce the number of rinses required.

Inverter An electrical device which greatly reduces the power needed to drive machinery by improving the conversion effi ciency.

Ironer tape A narrow fabric tape used to guide textile items through the ironer.

Launderette An area where washing, drying and ironing equipment is used on a self service basis.

Lint Cotton fi bres which come off textiles and may, for example, block up the fi lters on the tumble dryer.

Mechanical hydro-extraction

The process of de-watering textiles by mechanical spinning or squeezing rather than by the use of heat to evaporate the moisture.

Membrane press An alternative name for hydro-extraction press.

Mimic board controls

A diagrammatic display in real-time showing the current state of operation (valve status, pump on/off, tank levels) of, for example, a CTW system.

Moisture retention The retention of residual moisture in de-watered textiles, expressed as a percentage of the dry weight of the textiles.

Multi-roll ironer A drying and crease removal device in which the fl at, wet textile is held by a succession of rolls against their respective heated beds.

Needle-felt The porous cladding of the perforated rolls on a multi-roll ironer, through which the water vapour from the drying sheet is drawn.

Peg The location for one garment (on hanger) on the conveyor which travels through the tunnel fi nisher.

Perchloroethylene A pure chemical used as a dry cleaning solvent.

Press basket The shaped base to a hydro-extraction press which forms the cylindrical ‘cake’ of de-watered textiles.

Press cushion Alternative name for the hollow rubber membrane on the face of the ram of the hydro-extraction press which is fi lled with water at up to 50 bar pressure.

Pressure creases Sharp creases in polyester textiles caused by the effect of heat and/or pressure.

Pressure pump A device which raises the pressure inside the membrane on a hydro-extraction press.

Pre-wash The fi rst stage in the wash process, carried out at low temperature.


Programmable micro-processor

An electronic controller which can be programmed to deliver precisely the required sequence of steps.

Remote automatic steam trap leak detection system

A system of similar devices which detect leakage of steam through many steam traps and relays this to a central monitoring station.

Shuttle conveyor A mobile conveyor which takes the cheese of de-watered textiles from the hydro-extraction press and delivers it into the next available tumble dryer.

Single roll ironer A drying and crease removal device in which the fl at, wet textile is held against a heated roll or heated bed.

Spin drying The process of de-watering textiles by high speed rotation in a perforated cage (as in a washer extractor or a domestic washing machine).

Spin speed The rotational velocity of the washer extractor cage during the fi nal extract (spin dry) in revolutions per minute.

Steam chest A hollow ironer bed in which steam condenses.

Surplussing valve A relief valve for fl ash steam systems which releases excess fl ash steam not required for its primary function to a secondary function.

Textile rental The business of hiring out fl atwork and garments to end-users which includes regular cleansing and replacements.

Thermal disinfection

Technique for killing micro-organisms in the wash which relies on the maintenance of certain time/temperature combinations.

Tumble dryer A device for drying or partially drying textiles (or for breaking up the dewatered ‘cake’) in which the items are place in a rotating perforated cage through which hot air is passed.

Tunnel fi nisher A tunnel shaped device, into which steam and hot air are injected and through which garments (on hangers) pass, so that they emerge dry and crease-free.

Ultrasonic steam trap leak detector

A hand-held device for assessing steam leakage from the high pressure side of a steam trap through into the condensate collection system, which detects the ultrasonic ‘whistle’ of escaping steam.

Vacuum pump A device on a multi-roll ironer used to generate suction within each of the ironer rolls.

Wait times Delay times built into the computer control sequence for the hydro-extraction press to allow for each stage of the operation to be completed before the next is initiated.

Washer extractor A washing machine that is similar in range of functions to (but more robust than) a domestic washing machine.

Washer extractor sump

The chamber at the base of a washer extractor into which water, steam and chemicals are injected at the appropriate point in the wash cycle.

Yellowing The consequence of drying work which has not been properly rinsed (caused by reaction between detergent residues and the oxygen in the air).



Useful addressesTextile Services Association

www.tsa-uk.org

7 Churchill Court58 Station RoadNorth HarrowHA2 7SA

TSA is presently co-ordinating efforts by the sector to reduce emissions sector-wide and is monitoring successes year by year.

Bridgwater College

www.bridgewater.ac.uk

Business Development Unit Cannington CentreCannington BridgwaterTA5 2LS

Bridgwater College is co-ordinating Train to Gain funding for the laundry sector for laundry operative training, which specifi cally includes the operator contribution to carbon emissions reduction.

Laundry Technology Centre

www.dtcltc.com

Unit 10A Drill Hall Business CentreIlkleyLS29 8EZ

The Laundry Technology Centre offers a free telephone advice service on energy related topics in laundering.

Guild of Cleaners and Launderers

www.gcl.org.uk

7 Churchill Court58 Station RoadNorth HarrowHA2 7SA

The Guild sets the standards for the industry and arranges local meetings for the exchange of energy saving successes.

http://www.tsa-uk.org

http://www.bridgewater.ac.uk

http://www.dtcltc.com

http://www.gcl.org.uk


Next stepsThere are many easy low and no-cost options to help save money and carbon and improve the operation and effi ciency of your laundry.

Step 4. Seek specialist help

It may be possible to implement some energy saving measures in-house, but others may require specialist help. Discuss the more complex or expensive options with a qualifi ed technician or engineer.

Step 5. Make the changes and measure

the savings

Implement the energy saving measures identifi ed and check to see how they compare to the original consumption fi gures. This will help you make energy saving decisions in the future.

Step 6. Continue to manage

energy use

Enforce policies, systems and procedures to ensure that the business operates effi ciently and that savings are maintained in the future. Highlight successes amongst your staff.

Step 1. Understand your energy use

Check the condition and operation of all equipment used in your laundry. Determine a target for reducing energy consumption by looking at how much it uses currently and comparing that against industry benchmarks.

Step 2. Identify opportunities to

save energy

Compile an energy checklist and take a tour around the building to look for energy saving opportunities.

Step 3. Prioritise your actions

Draw up an action plan detailing a schedule of improvements that need to be made and when, along with who will be responsible for them. Where funding is limited, focus on energy intensive areas or those that are performing badly fi rst. There may also be steps that can be taken immediately without investment. These should be implemented as quickly as possible, with all members of the team involved.


The Carbon Trust provides a range of tools, services and information to help you implement energy and carbon saving measures, no matter what your level of experience.

Carbon Footprint Calculator – Our online calculator will help you calculate your organisation’s carbon emissions.

www.carbontrust.co.uk/carboncalculator

Interest Free Loans – Energy Effi ciency Loans from the Carbon Trust are a cost effective way to replace or upgrade your existing equipment with a more energy effi cient version. See if you qualify.

www.carbontrust.co.uk/loans

Carbon Surveys – We provide free surveys to organisations with annual energy bills of more than £50,000. Our carbon experts will visit your premises to identify energy saving opportunities and offer practical advice on how to achieve them.

www.carbontrust.co.uk/surveys

Action Plans – Create action plans to implement carbon and energy saving measures.

www.carbontrust.co.uk/apt

Case Studies – Our case studies show that it’s often easier and less expensive than you might think to bring about real change.

www.carbontrust.co.uk/casestudies

Events & Workshops – The Carbon Trust offers a variety of events and workshops ranging from introductions to our services to technical energy effi ciency training, most of which are free.

www.carbontrust.co.uk/events

Publications – We have a library of free publications detailing energy saving techniques for a range of sectors and technologies.

www.carbontrust.co.uk/publications

Need further help?

Call our Customer Centre on 0800 085 2005

Our Customer Centre provides free advice on what your organisation can do to save energy and save money. Our team handles questions ranging from straightforward requests for information, to in-depth technical queries about particular technologies.

Go online to get more

http://www.carbontrust.co.uk/carboncalculator

http://www.carbontrust.co.uk/loans

http://www.carbontrust.co.uk/surveys

http://www.carbontrust.co.uk/apt

http://www.carbontrust.co.uk/casestudies

http://www.carbontrust.co.uk/events

http://www.carbontrust.co.uk/publications

The Carbon Trust is funded by the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC), the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR), the Scottish Government, the Welsh Assembly Government and Invest Northern Ireland.

Whilst reasonable steps have been taken to ensure that the information contained within this publication is correct, the authors, the Carbon Trust, its agents, contractors and sub-contractors give no warranty and make no representation as to its accuracy and accept no liability for any errors or omissions. Any trademarks, service marks or logos used in this publication, and copyright in it, are the property of the Carbon Trust. Nothing in this publication shall be construed as granting any licence or right to use or reproduce any of the trademarks, service marks, logos, copyright or any proprietary information in any way without the Carbon Trust’s prior written permission. The Carbon Trust enforces infringements of its intellectual property rights to the full extent permitted by law.

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Printed on 80% recycled paper containing a minimum of 60% de-inked waste fi bre.

Published in the UK: April 2009.

© The Carbon Trust 2009. All rights reserved. CTV040

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The Carbon Trust’s mission is to accelerate the move to a low carbon

economy, by working with organisations to reduce carbon emissions

now and develop commercial low carbon technologies for the future.

We cut carbon emissions now

• By providing business and the public sector with expert advice, fi nance and accreditation.

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