ATLANTA —Amid rising costs for energy and water, mounting concern about global warming, and a “greening” trend that gains visibility with each passing day, operators should embrace the growing numbers of energy efficiency-certified foodservice equipment, authorities on such components told attendees at the NAFEM Show 2007.
The speakers for the educational session on Energy Star-qualified foodservice equipment underscored that not only are such items cheaper to run and less harmful to the environment, often they are eligible for utility company rebates. —Amid rising costs for energy and water, mounting concern about global warming, and a “greening” trend that gains visibility with each passing day, operators should embrace the growing numbers of energy efficiency-certified foodservice equipment, authorities on such components told attendees at the NAFEM Show 2007.
“People are becoming more educated about climate change, and they’re really voting with their dollars,” said Rebecca Duff, project manager of the ICF International consulting firm. Duff and Kate Lewis, sales and marketing manager of the Energy Star program at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, or EPA, addressed the expanding Energy Star suite of foodservice equipment. —Amid rising costs for energy and water, mounting concern about global warming, and a “greening” trend that gains visibility with each passing day, operators should embrace the growing numbers of energy efficiency-certified foodservice equipment, authorities on such components told attendees at the NAFEM Show 2007.
Regardless of whether operators accept the case for climate change, Duff said it’s important to realize that governments are addressing the issue with energy efficiency policies and emissions standards. —Amid rising costs for energy and water, mounting concern about global warming, and a “greening” trend that gains visibility with each passing day, operators should embrace the growing numbers of energy efficiency-certified foodservice equipment, authorities on such components told attendees at the NAFEM Show 2007.
“It’s going to impact us to some degree, both as consumers and as business people,” Duff said. “If it’s not happening on a national level, we’re starting to see it on a state level and even on a city level.” —Amid rising costs for energy and water, mounting concern about global warming, and a “greening” trend that gains visibility with each passing day, operators should embrace the growing numbers of energy efficiency-certified foodservice equipment, authorities on such components told attendees at the NAFEM Show 2007.
Duff’s company, ICF, has helped develop more than 30 equipment specifications with Energy Star. The voluntary, market-based program, which like the ICF product development team is based in Washington, D.C., awards the Energy Star label to the top-performing energy-efficient models in five categories of equipment. —Amid rising costs for energy and water, mounting concern about global warming, and a “greening” trend that gains visibility with each passing day, operators should embrace the growing numbers of energy efficiency-certified foodservice equipment, authorities on such components told attendees at the NAFEM Show 2007.
This month, the EPA announced the addition of dishwashers to the Energy Star suite, to be followed in January 2008 by ice machines. The other categories Energy Star has qualified since its debut in 2001 are solid-door refrigerators and freezers, fryers, steam cookers, and hot-food holding cabinets. —Amid rising costs for energy and water, mounting concern about global warming, and a “greening” trend that gains visibility with each passing day, operators should embrace the growing numbers of energy efficiency-certified foodservice equipment, authorities on such components told attendees at the NAFEM Show 2007.
In her rationale for Energy Star, the EPA’s Lewis said the program has prevented an amount of pollution estimated to be equivalent to the emissions of 25 million cars, or 5 percent of electricity usage in the United States last year. All told, residential and commercial users have pocketed $14 billion in savings because of it, she said. —Amid rising costs for energy and water, mounting concern about global warming, and a “greening” trend that gains visibility with each passing day, operators should embrace the growing numbers of energy efficiency-certified foodservice equipment, authorities on such components told attendees at the NAFEM Show 2007.
For example, ICF’s Duff explained, Energy Starqualified pieces with improved insulation and advanced burner design or more efficient compressors and cooling components can save $550 in utilities annually in the case of steam cookers, $280 with hot-food holding cabinets, $170 with solid-door refrigerators and $120 with solid-door freezers. —Amid rising costs for energy and water, mounting concern about global warming, and a “greening” trend that gains visibility with each passing day, operators should embrace the growing numbers of energy efficiency-certified foodservice equipment, authorities on such components told attendees at the NAFEM Show 2007.
That’s not counting the rebates, which range anywhere from $100 for a refrigerator to $1,000 for a fryer, being offered on qualified equipment by 23 Energy Star-allied utilities and agencies in 17 states. —Amid rising costs for energy and water, mounting concern about global warming, and a “greening” trend that gains visibility with each passing day, operators should embrace the growing numbers of energy efficiency-certified foodservice equipment, authorities on such components told attendees at the NAFEM Show 2007.
“You put that against the incremental cost, and you’re seeing that much nicer a payback for using Energy Star equipment,” Duff said. —Amid rising costs for energy and water, mounting concern about global warming, and a “greening” trend that gains visibility with each passing day, operators should embrace the growing numbers of energy efficiency-certified foodservice equipment, authorities on such components told attendees at the NAFEM Show 2007.
Duff listed some other market influencers that are furthering green consciousness: dire projections of heat waves, floods and droughts brought about by global warming, higher food prices caused by switching to biofuels, and rising electricity and water rates in many parts of the country. —Amid rising costs for energy and water, mounting concern about global warming, and a “greening” trend that gains visibility with each passing day, operators should embrace the growing numbers of energy efficiency-certified foodservice equipment, authorities on such components told attendees at the NAFEM Show 2007.
“Energy and water is not just a budget line item any more,” Duff said. “It’s impacting your bottom line, so it’s something you really have to pay attention to.” —Amid rising costs for energy and water, mounting concern about global warming, and a “greening” trend that gains visibility with each passing day, operators should embrace the growing numbers of energy efficiency-certified foodservice equipment, authorities on such components told attendees at the NAFEM Show 2007.
Energy-efficient equipment can help operators make a dent in the industry’s extremely high energy usage rate, which Duff pegged at two-and-a-half times higher per square foot for a restaurant than any other type of building. Outfitting a kitchen with a full suite of Energy Starqualified equipment could save an estimated $2,500 annually. —Amid rising costs for energy and water, mounting concern about global warming, and a “greening” trend that gains visibility with each passing day, operators should embrace the growing numbers of energy efficiency-certified foodservice equipment, authorities on such components told attendees at the NAFEM Show 2007.
“I think that is conservative,” Duff said. “As we add more products, you’re going to see a really nice portfolio of savings available to you.” —Amid rising costs for energy and water, mounting concern about global warming, and a “greening” trend that gains visibility with each passing day, operators should embrace the growing numbers of energy efficiency-certified foodservice equipment, authorities on such components told attendees at the NAFEM Show 2007.