ADAMS, Mass. — ALADCO Linen Services is committed to making itself a leader in the “green” movement in linen rental, says company President David Desmarais, and recently invested in a new continuous batch-washing system to replace multiple washer-extractors.
Gutting the heart of the business and retrofitting a 19th-century building was no easy feat. Creating a new laundry operation took much of November and December to implement and work out the kinks. At a cost of $700,000, Desmarais sees it as a “great investment in the business and the community.”
ALADCO processes 600,000 pounds of hospitality linen per month. The old process used about 2.5 gallons of water per pound, or 1.5 million gallons per month. Today, water use is 0.4 gallons per pound, a savings of 1.25 million gallons monthly.
Additionally, the need to heat 84% less water than the old system conserves natural gas and electricity.
ALADCO worked with Berkshire Gas’ Energy Efficient Department and participated in its Commercial & Industrial Energy Audit Program to develop a long-term plan for increasing energy efficiency. Berkshire Gas committed $50,000 in energy-saving incentives to the project.
“This is the type of energy-efficiency project we are excited to be part of,” says Michael Sommer, manager of Energy Services at Berkshire. “The projected savings for this project of over 67,000 therms, and nearly 1.7 million therms over the life of the equipment, are impressive, to say the least.
“To put this into perspective, the annual savings from this one project equates to the amount of natural gas needed to heat approximately 70 homes per year.”
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