Resource-Efficient Laundry Room Demonstration and Evaluation:A Holistic Approach to Maximizing Energy, Water and Cost SavingsIn Multifamily Laundry Rooms

摘要

The Focus on Energy (Focus)/Apartment & Condo Efficiency Services programidentified the multifamily sector as both underserved and a difficult market to reach for energyefficiency services. In response, the Focus Apartment program manager asked Battelle toresearch and evaluate novel energy efficiency programs and technologies. One area that Battellerecommended evaluating was a Resource Efficient Laundry (REL) room concept.The goal of the REL program was to verify, through in situ demonstration, theperformance of Energy Star? coin-operated clothes washers, matching clothes dryers, efficientroom lighting and controls, and efficient and properly sized water-heating technologies formultifamily laundry room operations. This demonstration was important since multifamilyowners/operators are generally not early adopters of new technology (Currie, Parker, and Elliott1998).To meet the program goals, Battelle designed and implemented a research agenda thatincluded baseline metering of nine conventional washers and dryers, room lighting, andstandard-efficiency 120-gallon electric water heaters in three laundry rooms. Baseline meteringwas followed with replacement of the conventional washers/dryers, lighting and water heatingequipment with efficient (and properly sized) equipment. All energy and water inputs of thebaseline and efficient equipment were end-use metered.