The LEED Platinum Certified Bardessono Hotel and Spa in the Napa Valley has installed the first-of-its-kind combination solar powered trash compactor and portable cardboard baler. Completely off the grid, the solar powered compactor packs 16 yards of loose trash into just 4 yards, reducing waste pick-up at the busy property to just once per week, thus slashing hauling costs by 50%, reducing CO2 emissions by over 14 tons annually, and importantly limiting garbage truck noise to guests and neighboring residents.
The solar cardboard baler fits into a small space, yet crushes 150-200 boxes into an easy-to-handle 200lb bale making recycling simple and efficient.
“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. “The compactor and baler have both cleaned up the back of the house, and made terrific financial and environmental sense. 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 Bay Area Trash Compactor. “Our passion for delivering the right waste and recycling system for each client shines through again. As one of only three LEED Platinum Certified hotels in the US, our new solar combination is a perfect fit as Bardessono continually seeks sustainable solutions to improve the guest experience and reduce operating expenses.”
Bay Area Trash Compactor’s solar combination is the first of its kind to provide waste handling and recycling side-by-side with no wired electrical hook-up. Ideal for sustainability minded hotels, this new combination is also perfect where bringing wired power to a location is cost prohibitive or simply too difficult. Now, a user can gain the benefits of a compactor and baler with the ability to place the system almost anywhere.
The combination solar powered system was developed over two years with Harmony Enterprises of Harmony, MN. “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,” says Mike Welden of Bay Area Trash Compactor.
