Clean Heat CoLab: Electrifying Heating in Textile Mills for Climate Action
This initiative, developed under the Outdoor Industry Association’s Clean Heat Impact CoLab, is an open-source resource that helps textile mills worldwide decarbonise their heating systems. It supports the transition from fossil fuel-based heating (used in processes like drying, dyeing and finishing) to efficient, electrified technologies, in order to drive down greenhouse gas emissions and advance the industry towards ambitious climate goals.
Five-Axis Transformation via the Textile Heating Electrification Tool
Data: The project provides textile mills decision-makers with essential data on current energy usage, heating system types, emissions, operating costs and potential savings. It includes baseline metrics and diagnostics to map existing fuel-based heating emissions, and models to project reductions possible through electrification.
Capacity Building / Technical Assistance: It delivers guidance for mills in understanding the technical, financial and operational implications of electrified heating systems. Through workshops, training materials, best practice case studies, modelling and checklists, the initiative supports manufacturers in evaluating and planning the transition to electric heating technologies.
Technology / Machinery: Key technologies promoted include electric steam boilers, industrial heat pumps, electric thermal oil boilers, and other efficient electrified heating systems. The tool includes information to compare these alternatives, assess their feasibility, and match mills with manufacturers and suppliers of applicable equipment.
Finance: The initiative helps mills estimate capital costs, operational cost savings, emission-reduction returns, and payback periods. It supports economic modelling to inform investment decisions, and offers resources to compare cost-benefits of electrification versus continued fossil fuel usage. It also helps mills and brands consider financing strategies or incentives to make the transition more affordable.
Policy: The project works in a collaborative, pre-competitive context among brands, suppliers and industry bodies to strengthen incentives and create enabling conditions for heating electrification. It advocates for policy measures, regulatory frameworks, or industry standards that reward or mandate lower-carbon heating, support reliability of electric supply, and help overcome barriers like high upfront costs.
Strategic Impact & Value Proposition
Significant Emissions Reductions: By replacing fossil fuel heating systems with electric alternatives, textile mills can achieve notable reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, thereby contributing to industry-wide climate mitigation.
Cost Savings and Return on Investment: Though electrification often requires upfront investment, mills that adopt efficient electric heating technologies can reduce long-term operating costs (fuel, maintenance, emissions) and improve cost predictability, especially in markets where carbon and energy costs are rising.
Accelerated Climate Goal Progress:
The tool supports brands and manufacturers to meet climate commitments (such as net zero targets), regulatory requirements, or buyer expectations regarding emissions, by providing clear, actionable paths to reduce one of the harder sectors of their carbon footprint.
Scalable & Practical Solutions: Because the tool is open source, freely available, model-based, and includes supplier/manufacturer matching plus implementation checklists, it is designed to be practical and scalable across geographies and facility sizes. Mills can apply it for diagnostics, planning, and decision making, regardless of their current stage.
Industry Collaboration & Systemic Change: The initiative’s value lies not just in technology but in collective action: brand-supplier collaboration, shared tools and data, policy engagement, and cross-country applicability help shift norms, reduce risk for adopters, and foster broader system change in how textile heating is managed.