McGivern said that when he and Connors first talked about it, ozone injection into laundry water was already allowing users to use water 75 percent cooler while maintaining the same level of cleaning ability. Heat and chemicals are generally major parts of the process needed to clean linens, such as the sheets and towels laundered by hotels. Shamrock recently installed the system in the Ala Moana Hotel, its second major customer, and is negotiating with other hotels. Hotels confirm that these are the first ozone laundry systems in the islands. Consumers and the utility both save, Freedman said.
Power plants are expensive and the cost has to be passed on to the consumer.
The ozone player Ozone is a blue gas that in water breaks up quickly into highly concentrated oxygen, a powerful anti-bacteria and cleansing agent. It can be used in homes and small systems are available for that. Big commercial laundries have tried it and found it has not necessarily suited their purposes. Some heat and chemicals are needed when dealing with greasy fabrics from restaurants, for example, and that cuts into cost savings. But after seeing successful use in hotels, at least one local commercial laundry is expressing interest, Shamrock officials said.