Three Ways to Improve Energy Efficiency in Restaurants
April 7, 2018
Energy efficiency in restaurants is one of the most vital components to success in the industry. With the cost of energy rising year by year, it’s important to look at your restaurant’s current setup to determine whether or not you need to improve the protocols you already have. Chances are, there’s always room for improvement when it comes to energy efficiency and saving you money.
Consistently clean and maintain your equipment
For commercial refrigeration systems, they not only are one of the most expensive pieces of equipment you have, but they also can hold a large portion of your daily costs, the food. To help improve energy efficiency in restaurants we always encourage restaurant owners or managers to commit to a maintenance schedule that their team abides by. Along with your regularly scheduled maintenance visits from a professional, develop a plan to constantly clean and maintain your equipment. The cleaner the system is, the better it functions and the longer its lifespan will be. It also prevents the commercial refrigeration system from overworking due to buildup, which saves you on energy costs.
Turn off unused equipment to improve energy efficiency in restaurants
Not every piece of equipment in your restaurant is being used around the clock like your commercial refrigeration system. As part of the list of tasks to complete before closing every night, make sure that any idle equipment has been shut down. This goes for anything from to the lights to the oven, and more. When you do this you’ll see a welcomed difference in your costs.
Kitchen layout can impact energy efficiency in restaurants
Take a look at your kitchen’s layout. Are your cold machines, like your freezer or commercial refrigeration system next to your hot machines, like the oven? By doing this you are forcing the cold machines to overwork in order to compensate for the constant heat that is surrounding them. A key to having energy efficiency in restaurants is to make sure all similar equipment is grouped together, and that there is more than enough ventilation around them for proper air flow.
Along with the above ways for you to improve energy efficiency in restaurants, you should also consider having regular meetings with staff to go over protocol, as well as constantly check your equipment for leaky pipes that’s causing it to use more water than it should, which in turn causes a spike in your energy bill. Contact CoolSys Energy Solutions for more information about how to make your restaurant more energy efficient.
