Food service facilities use a lot of energy, nearly four times as much as the average commercial building, and much of that energy is consumed in the kitchen. Although electrical appliances and equipment are generally very efficient, there are a number of strategies you can take to serve up energy savings in your kitchen operations.
Upgrade equipment
ENERGY STAR® commercial food service equipment can help kitchen operators save on utility and maintenance costs without sacrificing quality, features or style.
Qualified combination ovens, for example, save about $7,300 on average over the life of the equipment, according to ENERGY STAR. They also offer benefits such as improved gaskets for a faster and more uniform cooking process. ENERGY STAR electric fryers provide lifetime savings of up to $2,600 (depending on type) and offer benefits in quicker recovery for continuous production and improved thermostat accuracy.
Ventilation on demand
Kitchen ventilation systems help improve the indoor environment, removing heat, smoke, steam and carbon monoxide. The trouble is, ventilation systems typically operate at a single speed, while kitchens often have idle times. During slow periods, the ventilation system exhausts air at a higher-than-necessary rate, requiring large amounts of makeup air. This wastes energy.
Demand control ventilation (DCV) systems can help save energy while maintaining the indoor environment. Sensors mounted in the exhaust hood or kitchen area monitor temperature and/or carbon monoxide levels and send signals to variable frequency drive (VFD) controls, which modulate the fan speed accordingly.
Implementation of DCV has been shown to decrease energy use by more than 30% and can have a payback period of 2.5 years.
Cool savings on refrigeration
Walk-in coolers and freezers can really take up a lot of space on food service facility energy bills. Here are some cost-saving measures:
- Replace standard shaded-pole motors with electronically commutated motors (ECM) to reduce energy costs by up to 65%. ECMs are more energy efficient and easier to program and control.
- Install evaporator fan controllers, which slow fans when full-speed operation is unnecessary, saving up to 50% on refrigeration costs.
- Upgrade to LED lighting. Highly efficient, long lasting and durable, with excellent cold temperature performance, LEDs are a perfect fit for refrigeration applications.
ENERGY STAR-certified refrigerators and freezers offer improved fan blade design and uniform cabinet temperatures, among other features, to help reduce refrigeration energy costs.
With these and other measures, you have all the ingredients you need for an energy-efficient kitchen.
