Laundry Services Provider 

When I purchased [the business] in 1994,  the [system] was present and in good working order … The unit has worked seven days a week since then. We have been pleased with its performance; the efficiency is outstanding. Our stack temperature from our boiler is above 232 °C (450 °F). We pass it through our [system], and our exit stack temperature from the [system] is around 38 °C (100 °F). It is nice to have cheap hot water.

- Facility Owner

Over 30 Years of Dependable Service

The Hybrid FLU-ACE installation gave this laundry services provider exactly what it needed: a continuous and economical supply of hot water for high-volume washing cycles. Industrial laundries often require water temperatures of 60 °C (140° F) to 85 °C (185 °F) for effective stain removal, detergent activation and sanitation, making a stable supply essential.

By recovering heat from boiler exhaust gases and combining it with a fully modulating natural gas burner, the system delivered free hot water from recovered heat and topped any additional requirement instantly on demand with fuel-to-water efficiencies of up to 99%.

Unlike conventional economisers or surface heat exchangers that can foul or scale in detergent-rich environments, the direct contact design transfers energy directly into the water stream, maintaining consistent efficiency under variable load.

The stainless-steel construction withstands the detergents, moisture and repeated thermal cycling common in laundry operations, while the vented, non-pressurised design simplifies operation and avoids the regulatory burden of pressure vessels.

Shifting Energy Landscape

When the project was commissioned in the early 1990s, diesel oil was still a common fuel in many industrial laundries. Since then, the fuel landscape has shifted significantly. Diesel has become one of the most volatile and expensive fuels for heat production, subject to global oil markets, refining margins and carbon policies.

In Canada, as in most markets, producing the same amount of heat with diesel has almost always cost significantly more than with natural gas. At the same time, diesel combustion is associated with higher greenhouse gas emissions, particulates and local air pollutants. These impacts have increasingly shaped sustainability strategies, regulatory frameworks and even procurement standards in sectors such as hospitality and healthcare.

By adopting the Hybrid FLU ACE in the early 1990s and moving early to natural gas, the laundry services provider avoided decades of exposure to escalating diesel costs and tightening environmental restrictions. This positioned the site as an early adopter of clean, efficient technology that not only reduced costs at the time but has continued to deliver competitive advantage as diesel has become less viable.

Resilience and Long-Term Value

With the capacity to process more than 2,000 lb of textiles per hour and over a century of contiuous operation, this provider is one of the largest and most resilient in the province. The Hybrid FLU-ACE has been a key part of that resilience, providing the efficiency and reliability needed to remain competitive in a demanding sector.

Now operating for more than 30 years without modification, the system continues to provide dependable hot water. This project proved that hybrid heat recovery technology can combine efficiency, resilience and cost savings, and it remains a reference point for laundry operators and other industries with large hot water requirements who are seeking proven, long-term solutions.