New fabric for student uniforms eliminates need for ironing, saves millions of baht in electricity costs

Energy authorities certified it as “Label No. 5”, which is normally associated with electrical appliances that pass the energy savings standards of the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (Egat) to help people select energy-efficient appliances for their homes.

Egat has been working with the Thailand Textile Institute to develop student uniforms with a highly flexible fabric that could return them to their original state after washing and do not cause wrinkles, thus eliminating the need for ironing, which is one of the most energy-consuming activities.

The uniforms will also feature the “Cool Mode” technology that helps reduce temperature while wearing by 1-5 degrees Celsius, ensuring comfort for users in Thailand’s tropical climate.

At its head office in Nonthaburi province on Friday, Egat introduced the new students uniform by giving the well-known “Label No. 5” stamp to certify energy efficiency. Egat has manufactured 300 prototypes and delivered them to schools in Nonthaburi’s Bang Kruai district free of charge in the test run period.

“Without the need for ironing, Label No. 5 certified uniforms can potentially reduce household energy usage by 7.75 million units, or 31 million baht per year, thus reducing carbon emissions caused by electricity generation by 3.7 billion tonnes per year,” said Egat governor Boonyanit Wongrukmit. “Several manufacturers have expressed interest in adopting the technology to produce and sell the uniforms commercially.”

On Friday, Egat also awarded Label No. 5 to 43 manufacturers of three electrical appliances that have recently been added to the energy-saving standard, namely electric motorcycle chargers, removable li-ion battery for electric motorcycles, and multi-indoor-unit air-conditioners using variable refrigerant flow system.