It’s no secret that margins can be tight for restaurants and foodservice businesses. On top of the cost pressures, restaurants use about five to seven times more energy per square foot than other commercial buildings, such an office spaces.
Improving your energy efficiency saves you money, reduces your energy consumption, and creates a better working environment. It can also help lower your carbon footprint to help address climate change, something your customers will appreciate.
Equipment
Ventilation
Water Heating
Commercial Kitchen Equipment Rebates
| ENERGY STAR® Equipment | Annual Savings* | Rebate** |
|---|---|---|
| Fryers | $500 | $750 |
| Steam Cooker | $1000 | $1750 |
| Convection Oven (full-size) | $165 | $750 |
| Combination Oven (<24 gas bins) | $250 | $500 |
| Combination Oven (>24 gas bins) | $400 | $1000 |
| Griddle | $100 | $400 |
| Under-counter Dishwasher | $100 | $500 |
| Single-tank Dishwasher | $300 | $1000 |
| Multi-tank Dishwasher | $600 | $2000 |
| Pot/Pan/Utensil Dishwasher | $100 | $750 |
**All ENERGY STAR® units are eligible for rebates. A point-of-purchase rebate may have been applied at the distributor.
Kitchen Exhaust Hood Controls
Most commercial kitchen hoods operate at 100% capacity, even during idle periods, wasting thousands of dollars of energy every year. You can reduce your costs by installing fan controls that vary the speed based on the demand in your kitchen. VGS can work with you and a local mechanical contractor to understand the opportunity, calculate the energy savings, and offer a custom incentive package to add simple controls to your exhaust hood and reduce costs for heating your restaurant, store, or other surrounding spaces.
Water Heating
Between cooking, dishwashing, and cleaning, water heating can comprise 20% of a kitchen’s energy use. The first step is to reduce the amount of hot water going down your drain by installing low-flow spray nozzles and low-flow aerators. VGS Then, consider upgrading your water heater. ENERGY STAR-certified water heaters use around 15% less energy than conventional units.
Resources
“The Commercial Efficiency & Innovation team at VGS has become a valuable partner for the Farmhouse Group. Their team provides guidance for our building and kitchen renovations, as well as our new restaurant build outs. They help us make informed decisions to help lower our long term energy costs.“
Jed Davis, Owner