Reducing energy consumption within your restaurant will not only help our planet, but it will also help to lower your cost on energy. Here are some simple ways to reduce the amount of energy your restaurant is consuming. It can be easier than you think to reduce energy consumption in your kitchen with these energy-saving methods!
Preform equipment maintenance checks
Keeping your equipment clean and services so that it doesn’t have to work harder than it needs to be. This will result in you saving money and may even extend the life of your equipment. See our maintenance blog posts to learn how to clean and maintain your equipment.
Use energy efficient equipment
Commercial equipment contributes to a large sum of your restaurant’s energy consumption. Many manufacturers offer equipment that uses a fraction of the energy of their other models, and switching to those designs could save your business thousands of dollars per year. There are even rebates available from your local gas, electric and water companies that you could take advantage of.
Use energy efficient lighting
Switching out incandescent light bulbs with energy efficient lighting can lower your lighting cost, while conserving energy. This not only benefits your wallet, it helps the environment by conserving energy.
- LED Bulbs use less electricity and last 10 times longer than the standard incandescent light bulb.
- CFL Bulbs are not as efficient as LED but are still 4 times more efficient than your standard light bulb. CFL bulbs produce more light than LED bulbs and are great to light up large areas within your restaurant.
Reduce water consumption
Here are some simple ways to reduce water consumption within your restaurant.
- Repair leaky faucets
- Install low- flow aerators
- Use low flow spray valves
Decrease heat usage
Decreasing heat usage within your restaurant will help lower energy costs. By investing in a good thermostat such as a smart thermostat can help you program the temperature remotely. Many smart thermostats are tamper- resistant meaning this prevents employees from making adjustments to the temperature. Lowering water temperature on your dish machine can help decrease heat usage. Just double check with the requirements for dish washing temperature in your area. This will help you know if you are using hotter water than needed.
Reduce ambient temperatures
When the temperature is too high in the kitchen, refrigeration equipment works harder to keep food cold. Keeping the heat to a minimum can help lower energy costs.
- Using induction equipment can ensure that there is no transfer of heat into the surrounding air, keeping your kitchen cooler.
- Using condensate hoods above your dishwasher and steam equipment will help to remove hot air from you kitchen.
- Shutting down idle equipment, when not in use, can help save your restaurant hundreds of dollars.
These are easy ways to lower expenses, help the environment and even possibly bring in more business. It’s trendy and simple to go green and give back to the environment.
