Swiss Partners
ZHAW Life Sciences und Facility Management, Wädenswil
www.zhaw.ch/de/lsfm/
Ranka Junge
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Swiss Contribution
ZHAW emphasizes a multi- and interdisciplinary approach to applied research on the sustainable use of natural resources in urban and rural environments and has broad expertise across several fields of study that are relevant for this project such as new sanitation systems, wetlands, renewable energy generation and zero-emission buildings.
Description
The project implemented and evaluated a pilot installation of the LaundReCycle in Switzerland and a demonstrator in Cape Town. This laundromat are nearly water and energy autonomous, thanks to its highly-efficient washing machines, its rainwater harvesting, as well as its photovoltaic system. The demonstrator in Cape Town allowed to assess the operational and financial viability, as well as the social acceptance and the potential for multiplication. At the same time, the project partners aim to establish a South African spin-off.
Results
The pilot installation LaundReCycles was put into service in Cape Town in January 2021, in collaboration with the Swiss Embassy. The pilot laundromat achieves an energy and water supply efficiency of 92% each and still has potential for up-scaling to reduce energy consumption, operating and maintenance costs. It was found that the water treatment capacity needs to be increased. In addition, a business model was developed for the multiplication.
Impacts
25,000 litres of fresh water and 3.4 tonnes of CO2 were saved yearly. 8 people have been trained, 2 new jobs have been created and around 275 customers are using the new service. The knowledge gained in the REPIC project is being incorporated into the construction of an optimised plant which now has a flow-through system for water treatment. In addition, a spin-off is being set up together with the South African partners for the commercialisation of LaundReCycle.