Electric Co-op Today

FORT MYERS, Fla.— Alan Shedd stood at the front of the room wearing a chef’s hat and an apron to make a point: Restaurants are extremely energy intensive.

Alan Shedd (in chef’s attire) and Jim Herritage chat during a NET Conference session. (Photo By: Michael W. Kahn)

“They use five to seven times more energy per square foot than most commercial buildings,” said Shedd, director, residential and commercial energy programs at Touchstone Energy®.

The NET 2012 conference opened here Jan. 30 with a training session, “Serving Up Energy Savings in the Food Service Industry.”

“A typical fryer uses 18,000 kilowatt-hours a year,” Shedd said, comparing that with a typical home, which uses 12,000 kwh. But getting an eatery to change can be an uphill climb.

“Energy management really isn’t at the core of what restaurants do,” said Shedd. Still, there are things co-ops can do to reach out, starting with rates.

“The rate that they’re on has a big impact on what they do and how they operate,” Shedd said. “Think about a time of use rate: Does that high price block fall in the middle of when they’re really slinging hash? Maybe that’s not a good rate for them.”

More than a third of an eatery’s energy use goes toward food preparation. And while it’s up to the chef to determine how to cook, it’s up to the co-op to ask some questions.

“Is it possible to only start the equipment when it’s needed instead of starting everything up on the off chance that you may need that griddle in two hours?” Shedd asked. “What can we shut off overnight?” That second question goes beyond the kitchen, covering things like TVs and signs.

At 28 percent, HVAC is a restaurant’s second largest use of energy, and Shedd said simple, regular maintenance goes a long way. That includes filter replacement, cleaning the blowers and inspecting ductwork for leaks.

Making changes at food service establishments also requires some special considerations. For example, sections of the U.S. Public Health Service’s Food Code cover lighting in areas such as where employees are working with slicers, and where there is exposed food.

“We need to be aware of this before we go in and talk to someone in food service about saving energy,” said Jim Herritage, head of Energy Auditors, who co-led the session. “We sure don’t want to help someone save energy and then fall below the guidelines in the industry.”

In the end, Shedd said, keep it simple.

“If we can focus on the low-hanging fruit, the low-cost, no-cost things, that gets people’s attention.”

For more information, visit the Touchstone Energy Business Advisor website.

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Tags: Efficiency and Conservation, Energy Efficiency, NET Conference, Touchstone Energy