CHOOSE AN ENERGY STAR COMMERCIAL KITCHEN PACKAGE
According to Pacific Gas and Electric’s Food Service Technology Center, as much as 80 percent of the $10 billion annual energy bill for the commercial food service sector does 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. To help counter these costs, ENERGY STAR helps restaurant owners and operators improve the performance of their facilities and equipment while reducing energy costs. Restaurants that invest strategically can cut utility costs 10 to 30 percent without sacrificing service, quality, style or comfort — while making significant contributions to a cleaner environment.
Restaurants, or facilities with commercial kitchens, feature the majority of this equipment. They are one of the highest energy consumers of buildings — using approximately 250,000 Btu/sq.ft. This is roughly 2.5 times more energy per square foot than other commercial buildings.
ENERGY STAR qualified equipment can be an answer to mounting energy bills. Purchasing ENERGY STAR qualified commercial food service equipment as a package for new kitchen construction or as a replacement for aging equipment, can save significant amounts of money and energy on foodservice operators’ electric, gas, water and sewer bills. Commercial food service products in six categories may earn the ENERGY STAR: fryers, hot food holding cabinets, commercial solid door refrigerators and freezers, and commercial steam cookers, commercial dishwashers, and commercial ice makers. Qualified products can save up to as much as 50 percent over their conventional counterparts.
SAVE ENERGY, SAVE MONEY
Outfitting an entire kitchen with a suite of ENERGY STAR Qualified Commercial Food Service Equipment could save operators about 285 Mbtu/year annually, or the equivalent of approximately $2500. Besides saving energy, ENERGY STAR qualified steam cookers and commercial dishwashers save water. Steam cookers that have earned the ENERGY STAR are 90% more water efficient than non-qualified steam cookers; an ENERGY STAR qualified commercial dishwasher is 25% more water efficient than standard models.
HELP PROTECT THE ENVIRONMENT
Simple actions can make a big difference. Based on projected shipments of ENERGY STAR qualified commercial food service equipment, it is expected that approximately 35 thousand metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions will be avoided, the equivalent of about 25,000 cars.