TAMPA, FLA.—Hasek Communications, the Tampa, Fla.-based publisher of Green Lodging News, has added an Electrolux Professional Laundry Equipment Case Study to its website. The case study details the Hilton Concord’s recent installation of new Electrolux Professional washers and dryers. Roseville, Calif-based A2Z Laundry Systems spearheaded the installation of the equipment at the 329-room hotel. Lead consultant on the Hilton Concord’s overall sustainability efforts is Charles Smith, CEO of Hotel Sustainability Solutions Inc. (HSSI).
As HSSI began the task of evaluating options, key factors considered were the efficiency of the equipment, availability of rebates or incentives, distributor/manufacturer service and support, and the ability to upgrade equipment in the future—ensuring a long useful life and thereby protecting the initial capital investment.
Though Smith looked at a variety of laundry equipment manufacturers, the goal of creating the model of efficiency guided selection. That meant choosing a brand that delivered on its efficiency claims and had the numbers to prove it.
“Electrolux played a key part in the technology,” Smith said. “They stood out in the selection of technology available…their prominence caught our attention.”
Thanks to the Electrolux soft mount washers (two 145-pound capacity and one 60-pound capacity) now being used at the Hilton Concord, the hotel is saving 192,960 gallons of water annually in the laundry.
Five New Dryers Purchased
On the drying side, an agreement was reached on five 83-pound capacity Electrolux dryers to replace the dated complement of two 150-pound and two 110-pound dryers. Though drying capacity went down, the speed and efficiency of the Electrolux dryers combined with the high extract G-Force of the washers enable the laundry to process more loads per day (9.78 loads versus 7.81).
“The overall result of the higher extraction rate allowed us to go with smaller dryers and really spread out the loads,” Smith said, adding that the additional capacity contributed to reaching the goal of greater operating efficiency—making staff more productive.
Electrolux’s moisture sensing technology, which enables the units to dry to a set moisture retention level and then shut off the heat, further increased efficiency.
With the majority of a laundry’s gas consumption coming on the drying side, this is where the Hilton Concord saw a huge reduction in utility usage and costs. Combined with the 90 percent reduction in hot water usage, the laundry is consuming almost half the Btus as it did with the old equipment.
“There is a dramatic drop…Btus are so much lower and there’s a huge amount of savings,” Ibrahim said, adding that the laundry will see roughly $8,400 in gas savings annually. He pointed out that the Electrolux dryers derive their efficiency advantage from a unique horizontal airflow pattern as well as their reversing cylinder—a standard feature on 120-volt units.
To learn more about Electrolux Professional Laundry equipment, visit www.laundrylux.com. To read the entire case study, click here.
