Measuring company Intab's best tips for saving energy in the laundry room
“Don't waste energy in the laundry room.” This call is highly relevant for both housing associations and property owners with public laundries. Here, Intab Interface Teknik shares smart, simple tips for minimizing energy consumption in shared laundry rooms.
In an average apartment building, about 15% of the total energy consumption is spent in the laundry room. Investing in modern technology pays off in the long run, especially with today's high electricity prices.
“If the machines in the laundry room are more than 10 years old, property owners and housing associations can save 50% on energy consumption by investing in modern technology. Savings of up to 80 percent can be achieved if humidity control measures are also implemented, with modern ventilation solutions,” says Anders Hassdal, technician and calibration expert, Intab.
A good start is to measure the electricity consumption in the laundry room, which provides direct information on where the greatest savings potential lies.
“The largest consumption of electricity in laundries is that of dryers, accounting for about 70% of consumption. Investing in energy-efficient and modern drying technology, such as a heat pump dryer, can save over SEK 10,000 every year.”
Another measure that saves a lot of energy is heating the hot water in the laundry room with district heating or a heat pump.
“By using preheated water, cold water does not need to be heated in washing machines, saving a lot of energy.”
Modern washing machines have high washing speeds and good spinning, so fewer machines are needed for more residents. And when clothes and textiles are well spun, they dry faster.
“Today, there are energy-efficient drying options that are worthwhile for property owners and housing associations to invest in. With modern heat pump technology, there is a lot of money to be saved.”
Don't forget to measure humidity
When there is too much humidity in a laundry room, it takes longer for laundry to dry.
“In high humidity, machines can also start to rust and the relative humidity should not exceed 60%. If it is more than 70 percent, mould can form due to moisture and condensation.”
High humidity also results in unnecessarily long drying times.
“By controlling the humidity in laundry huts and drying rooms, for example by using a drying cupboard that takes care of the humidity in a closed system, or a drying room dehumidifier, the drying time is reduced. There is also money to save here,” says Anders Hassdal, technician and calibration expert, Intab.