The Beach Solar Laundromat uses eight solar thermal panels to heat water for the Laundromat, potable water for the second floor apartment and for space heating in radiators. The building was built in 1939, and the mechanical retrofit took place in 2002 and 2003. Natural Gas consumption has been reduced by approximately 30% as a result of the energy initiatives undertaken. Revenues have grown 160% over eighteen months as customers actively choose the Beach Solar Laundromat because of its environmentally friendly energy initiatives.
Innovation
In 1997 Winch's in-laws had a cottage in northern Canada with no electric supply and they were looking at installing a propane heater to build a shower. Winch installed a solar panel to heat water from their tank. From that project he recognized that there was a huge potential to heat hot water with solar energy.
"It is old technology," said Winch. "There's nothing new going on here, but people chose not to pursue it."
When the Laundromat building on Queen Street in Toronto came for sale in 2002, Winch realized that it was the perfect building to install solar panels, and change the paradigm of how business is run.
The "golden innovation", according to Winch, was that he applied existing proven environmentally friendly technology in creative ways to create a thriving business that is considered a model across the country. He argues that every business can do this but that our attention has not been focused in this direction. Winch believes a paradigm shift to "common sense" is needed and should include the full consequences of any business decision on the community and the environment. He argues forcefully that profitability and environmentally/socially responsible action are not only compatible, but that considering the full impact of the business on the world leads to greater profitability.
Impact
The Beach Solar Laundromat was recognized in April, 2004 by the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment as the Best Small Business in Canada for Pollution Prevention and the best organization of any size for Greenhouse Gas Emission Reduction in Canada. In September, 2004 the wash and fold service which employs new immigrants to Canada in partnership with "Senior Link", a local not-for-profit organization, was recognized by the City of Bremen, Germany with the Bremen Partnership Award. Under the patronage of the United Nations Environmental Programme, the award recognizes profound environmental innovation achieved in partnership with a non-government organization.
As a result of the publicity from winning the Bremen award, Winch has been approach by groups internationally from London to Kenya, who want to also set up "solar" laundromats and other businesses. He has chosen to run every aspect of his business, including staffing, in a way that benefits the community. He is acting as a role model for business innovation that benefits the community - purely as a private enterprise
Winch believes small changes have a big impact. While Beach Solar Laundromat is a small independent business, it has already had enormous influence in the community and around the world in modeling a successful business that is socially and environmentally innovative. Furthermore, the environmental innovation is a sum of some creative engineering with existing proven technology. Winch argues that we do not need to wait for a miraculous new technology to solve our energy and pollution problems, we simply need to find ways to apply what we already know.
"Is this an environmental showpiece or a business?" Winch asks. "It's an investment - it just so happens that when you start crunching the numbers and throw in a little bit of engineering innovation, you can crunch out some results that are attractive to any businessman, and lauded by any environmentalist."
Inspiration
"It makes so much sense to me that, at the end of the day, you can run your business and squeeze out every last penny of profit, but if you've left a society that's not sustainable, what have you achieved?" Winch says. "You might have a big house or a big cottage and drive a big Lincoln Navigator, but what do your kids get? So if you can run your business in a way that is sustainably profitable and do it in a way that's sustainable to your community and environmentally sustainable, then why not?"
"Here in a little laundromat," he adds. "I've had more moments of satisfaction engaging customers that are not normally thinking about bigger picture issues. They get engaged - and that's neat."
The World Inquiry editorial team edited this profile from the original submission of the interviewer or other source. The views expressed do not necessarily represent Case Western Reserve University, the Weatherhead School of Management or the Center for Business as an Agent of World Benefit. More >>
