CHICAGO —Restaurants stand a better chance of becoming energy efficient if operators view utilities as commodities they can control, said speakers at an education session on how to lower utility bills.
Energy efficiency is the percentage of energy consumed by an appliance that actually goes into cooking the food, said Richard Young, senior engineer and director of education for Pacific Gas & Electric’s Food Service Technology Center. —Restaurants stand a better chance of becoming energy efficient if operators view utilities as commodities they can control, said speakers at an education session on how to lower utility bills.
Food preparation accounts for 35 percent of the energy restaurants use, he told attendees of the education session, held last month at the National Restaurant Association’s annual Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show. Young and Kate Lewis, marketing manager for the Environmental Protection Agency’s Energy Star program, described practices that can reduce utility bills during the seminar, “5 Things Operators Must Know About Energy Efficiency.” —Restaurants stand a better chance of becoming energy efficient if operators view utilities as commodities they can control, said speakers at an education session on how to lower utility bills.
As much as 80 percent of the $10 billion annual energy bill for the commercial foodservice sector amounts to “lost energy dollars” wasted in excess heat and noise by inefficient appliances, lighting, refrigeration and heating, ventilation and air-conditioning systems, according to data from PG&E’s Food Service Technology Center. —Restaurants stand a better chance of becoming energy efficient if operators view utilities as commodities they can control, said speakers at an education session on how to lower utility bills.
The Energy Star program identifies energy-efficient foodservice equipment in six categories: fryers, hot-food holding cabinets, solid-door refrigerators and freezers, dishwashers, ice makers, and steam cookers. —Restaurants stand a better chance of becoming energy efficient if operators view utilities as commodities they can control, said speakers at an education session on how to lower utility bills.
The standard open-system steamer “sends a lot of energy and water down the drain,” Young said, but a closed-system steamer with an Energy Star rating is more energy- and water-efficient. —Restaurants stand a better chance of becoming energy efficient if operators view utilities as commodities they can control, said speakers at an education session on how to lower utility bills.
Young said the eight-year life cycle cost of an energy-efficient, three-pan steamer can be nearly $18,000 less than an open-system design. Energy Star fryers can cut about $3,000 from the eight-year life cycle cost, compared with the cost of a less-efficient fryer, he said. —Restaurants stand a better chance of becoming energy efficient if operators view utilities as commodities they can control, said speakers at an education session on how to lower utility bills.
Restaurants can save money in other areas as well, he added, by installing compact fluorescent lamps, or CFLs. —Restaurants stand a better chance of becoming energy efficient if operators view utilities as commodities they can control, said speakers at an education session on how to lower utility bills.
CFL globe lamps can be used above dining tables, while small CFLs are designed for decorative fixtures. Instead of illuminating menu boards with halogen lamps, CFL flood lamps provide ample light and last 10 times as long as halogen lamps, Young said. In addition, he said, significant cost savings and noise reduction can be achieved by replacing the standard kitchen-ventilation system with a “demand-ventilation” system. —Restaurants stand a better chance of becoming energy efficient if operators view utilities as commodities they can control, said speakers at an education session on how to lower utility bills.
The typical kitchen exhaust hood operates all day, and sometimes all night, even when food is not cooking, he said. The hood on a demand-ventilation system works only when it is tripped by temperature and optical sensors. The system can cut energy use by half, he said. —Restaurants stand a better chance of becoming energy efficient if operators view utilities as commodities they can control, said speakers at an education session on how to lower utility bills.
Restaurants can reduce water costs through such simple ways as installing low-flow, pre-rinse spray valves and fixing leaks, Young said. —Restaurants stand a better chance of becoming energy efficient if operators view utilities as commodities they can control, said speakers at an education session on how to lower utility bills.
He cited an example of a small leak costing $850 a year that could have been avoided by installing a 20-cent washer. —Restaurants stand a better chance of becoming energy efficient if operators view utilities as commodities they can control, said speakers at an education session on how to lower utility bills.
Also, installing strip curtains on walk-in coolers can reduce heat infiltration by 75 percent, he said. Young further suggested turning off the door heaters on reach-in refrigerators whenever possible. Based on energy costs, restaurants can save about $50 a year per door. —Restaurants stand a better chance of becoming energy efficient if operators view utilities as commodities they can control, said speakers at an education session on how to lower utility bills.
Because choosing the proper energy-efficient equipment can be complicated, the EPA’s Lewis gave attendees a “guided tour” of the Energy Star website, where visitors can read case studies, view a best-practices guide and get information on products. —Restaurants stand a better chance of becoming energy efficient if operators view utilities as commodities they can control, said speakers at an education session on how to lower utility bills.
“You don’t have to do this alone,” she said. —Restaurants stand a better chance of becoming energy efficient if operators view utilities as commodities they can control, said speakers at an education session on how to lower utility bills.
Lewis noted there’s a “mounting wave” of concern among consumers about sustainability, and that research shows 62 percent of adults say they are likely to choose a restaurant based on its eco-friendliness. —Restaurants stand a better chance of becoming energy efficient if operators view utilities as commodities they can control, said speakers at an education session on how to lower utility bills.