Sustainability Projects

Growing operational costs and lower than average occupancy rates spurred Apple Farm Inn and Suites, San Luis Obispo, Ca., to explore economic and facility efficiency benefits obtained through the installation of an ozone laundry system. At the Apple Farm Inn laundry facility, an evaluation was conducted in late 2006 to early 2007, comparing the costs of laundering by traditional methods versus ozone laundering.

Properly functioning steam traps open to release condensate and automatically close when steam is present.  Failed traps waste fuel, reduce efficiency, increase production costs and compromise the overall integrity of the steam and condensate systems.  Traps should be tested on a regular basis -- or the neglect may be quite costly.    

Outdoor area lighting can be defined as streets, roadways, parking lots and pedestrian walkways. These applications have been subjected by conventional lighting technologies such as high-intensity discharge (HID) lamps and fixtures. HID lighting has been utilized for many years in outdoor area lighting applications and have well-documented performance attributes. Today’s advancements in Light Emitting Diode (LED) technology have resulted in a new alternative for outdoor area lighting, which has several advantages over existing conventional lighting.

Reducing energy costs and pollution emissions involves many areas within an industrial facility.  My studies have found seven (7) key (or common) areas where low cost practical projects can be implemented.  Combined, these projects provide savings exceeding 10% of the annual energy spend with an average payback of less than one year.

Industrial plants are major consumers of water. Water is used in many processes. Sustainability projects focus on reducing the consumption of water and the energy-costs associated with cooling water so it may be effectively used.

It’s no secret that cost-cutting is now a main focus for many business owners. When times get tough, the first reaction is figure out where it’s possible to spend less in order to maintain the bottom line. Over the last year, there have been countless examples of companies that eliminated programs, slashed entire departments, and sliced into salaries to protect profits.