‘Editor’s Notebook’ with Diana Mosher: Is Your Laundry Room Working For You?
New apartment communities are being constructed with eco-friendly materials and processes, but older properties can also implement a green agenda. Whether your communities have laundry rooms or in-unit appliances, this is an easy place to start and one that’s sure to build resident awareness of environmental concerns. You can also use a green laundry project…
New apartment communities are being constructed with eco-friendly materials and processes, but older properties can also implement a green agenda. Whether your communities have laundry rooms or in-unit appliances, this is an easy place to start and one that’s sure to build resident awareness of environmental concerns. You can also use a green laundry project to generate interest in other eco-initiatives like submetering and recycling that require their participation in order to be successful.
Gauging the energy and water efficiency of equipment used in common laundry areas is increa
singly important to apartment owners and managers, whether the machines are leased or owned. “When it comes to community laundry areas in multi-housing, the prevailing trend is improved efficiency. Developers and [apartment] owners, like all of us, are seeking to lower water and utility costs,” notes Dick Casey, director of multi-housing sales at Alliance Laundry Systems (ALS), a commercial laundry equipment specialist that manufactures Speed Queen.
Going beyond using green washer/dryer equipment, Jonathan Rose Companies LLC is incorporating truly forward-thinking methods to further conserve water and/or electricity in laundry rooms. At Metro Green Apartments in Stamford, Conn., the company is diverting rain water for use in its laundry rooms. Rain water is harvested from the roof and stored in 10,000 gallon storage tans and, in addition to laundry, is used for irrigation.
For laundry purposes, the water is filtered and treated with ultraviolet light. At another Rose Development in New York City, smart technology is being used to regulate the air fan that powers dryer vents. Sensors ensure that dryer fans are only activated when dryers are running. This technology also prevents the loss of air-conditioned air from the interior space.
Click to read more about greening the laundry room.
(Diana Mosher is the Editor-in-Chief of Multi-Housing News. She can be reached at [email protected])
