The largest family-owned healthcare service provider in the country, Unitex has been equipping the healthcare industry with clean linens and uniforms for over 100 years. Staying ahead of the curve remains one of Unitex's guiding principles, and this applies to the company's approach to managing its laundering facilities.
One of these locations and the newest to the Unitex portfolio, in Lawrence, Massachusetts, was purchased as an empty warehouse. Unitex fitted out about half of the 185,000 square foot building into industrial cleaning space and is currently expanding the remaining square footage into office and additional process space. The organization applies a long-term vision to their operational decisions which includes investing in the highest efficiency equipment upfront to help minimize their operating expenses.
The facility management team at this building recognized the opportunity for installing energy efficiency measures as they built out the Lawrence location. They turned to their energy providers and Mass Save® Sponsors Eversource and National Grid for support.
The comprehensive program pathway allows for the most robust incentives and is a good way to ensure the highest performance of a building. Unitex collaborated with the Mass Save Sponsors on all efficiency measures, the largest of which was the wastewater heat recovery process.
Wastewater heat recovery improves the operational efficiency of the two tunnel washers at the facility. The components of this savings measure included the installation of high-performance steam generators and installation of a wastewater heat exchanger.
Wastewater leaving the tunnel washer is used to pre-heat incoming city water before going to sewer. The steam boiler system then brings the incoming water to setpoint via the steam heat exchange.
Combined, all of these savings measures have brought Unitex over 300,000 kWh and 300,000 therms savings annually. More efficient operations and the investment in high-performance equipment will enable this location to continue producing high quality linen management services for their own clientele for years to come.
Energy efficiency strategies like these are key to helping Unitex provide value to their clients without having to sacrifice quality. By investing upfront and reaping the benefits of the savings, Unitex can then make further reinvestments in their own business to stay at the top of the industry.
The information in this case study is an accurate representation of this customer's experience at the time of publication. Results, including cost savings, from energy efficiency measures can vary based on each individual customer's situation.
