LEED Platinum certified hotel installs solar compactor/baler

Bay Area Trash Compactor (BATC), Walnut Creek, California, has installed a combination solar-powered trash compactor and portable old corrugated container (OCC) baler at the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Platinum certified Bardessono Hotel and Spa in California’s Napa Valley.  

The solar-powered compactor packs 16 yards of loose material into 4 yards, reducing waste pickup at the Bardessono Hotel and Spa to once per week, according to BATC. This reduction cuts hauling costs by 50 percent, reduces carbon dioxide emissions by more than 14 tons annually and limits garbage truck noise in the area, the company adds.

The solar OCC baler fits into a small space and crushes 150 to 200 boxes into 200-pound bales.

“This unique solar waste management approach is another example of how we at Bardessono continue to act on our environmental values to enhance our guest experience,” says Paul Gracheff, director of property management for the hotel.  “The compactor and baler have both cleaned up the back of the house and made terrific financial and environmental sense.”

Gracheff adds, “The fact that Bay Area Trash Compactor and their partners at Harmony Enterprises have developed these systems to operate off the grid simply take us to the next level in sustainability.”

“We are proud to be able to provide this innovative solar waste and recycling solution to our client, the Bardessono,” says Mike Welden, president of BATC.

“As one of only three LEED Platinum certified hotels in the U.S., our new solar combination is a perfect fit as Bardessono continually seeks sustainable solutions to improve the guest experience and reduce operating expenses,” Welden adds.

BATC says the unit is the first of its kind to provide waste handling and recycling side by side with no wired electrical hookup. Ideal for sustainability-minded hotels, hospitals, universities, restaurants and shopping centers, this new combination also works well where bringing wired power to a location is cost prohibitive or too difficult, the company says. With this combination, users can gain the benefits of a compactor and baler with the ability to place the system almost anywhere, according to the company.  

BATC says the combination solar-powered system was developed over two years with Harmony Enterprises of Harmony, Minnesota.

Welden says, “The Harmony Enterprises team and their partner, Werner Electric, have delivered a robust solar waste management solution that the market has been waiting for. Harmony has broken down the barriers to reliable solar compaction. We are excited and will be installing many more solar powered systems this year.”

Headquartered in the San Francisco Bay area since 1985, BACT supplies waste and recycling solutions nationwide. Founded out of a college business project, the company says it provides its clients with an innovative approach designed to maximize their dollar savings while minimizing environmental impact.