Foodservice operations—and every other type of business—are continually on the lookout for ways to save on energy costs. Restaurants use about 2.5 times more energy per square foot than other commercial buildings and with energy costs rising at a rate of 6 percent to 8 percent per year, it’s easy to see why it's a focal point.

Pacific Gas & Electric’s Food Service Technology Center estimates that much of the annual energy bill for the commercial foodservice sector can be attributed to equipment that performs no useful work. These lost energy dollars are often wasted in the form of excess heat and noise generated by inefficient appliances, heating ventilation and air conditioning systems, lighting and refrigeration. Any lost energy dollars that could be recovered could translate into a cost saving for restaurant operators.

Helping your clients properly maintain the equipment they already have is an easy way to save. A regular, documented cleaning and maintenance schedule can significantly impact the bottom line. Procedures in a typical preventive maintenance program include inspections, adjustments, cleaning and lubrication.

According to ENERGY STAR’s recently revised Guide for Restaurants, restaurants should follow these general best practices to counter inefficient use of energy and reduce costs:

Refrigeration

Refrigeration equipment uses electricity 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Here are some tasks that can help save energy:

• Maintain refrigerator doors by replacing worn gaskets, aligning doors, enabling automatic door closers and replacing worn or damaged strip curtains.
• Clean evaporator and condenser coils and ensure proper airflow. Straighten damaged fins and remove objects that block air to the coils. Perform coil maintenance at least four times a year.
• Check refrigerant charge.
• Install strip curtains on walk-in boxes as insurance against propped-open doors.
• Check and properly set thermostats and time clocks on all refrigeration equipment.

Warewash

Ventilation

Optimizing a kitchen’s exhaust system can mean good indoor air quality and can benefit utility bills through these initiatives:

• Repair, adjust and maintain outdoor-air economizers on packaged air conditioning and heating units. Make sure they open and are set to maximize free cooling.
• Repair, adjust and maintain evaporative coolers including broken belts, pumps and motors; disintegrating media; and leaking float valves and water lines. Adjust the water so the media is damp but not saturated.

Sanitation

Conserving hot water can reduce the water bill as well as the bill for the electricity or natural gas used to heat the water. Note the following good practices:

• Turn down drip wells.
• Insulate all accessible hot-water pipes leading to and from the water heater.

Cooking

Review more information on sustainable design and how to help your clients lower energy use and utility costs.

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