Managing Energy Costs E SOURCE
Customer Direct
in Restaurants Pamphlet licensed for distribution to the
customers of E SOURCE members
Restaurants in the United States spend on average $2.90 per
Figure 1: Diagram of hypothetical daily load shape
square foot (ft2) on electricity and $0.85 per ft2 on natural gas
Monthly peak demand
annually. This means 3 to 5 percent of their total operating sets the demand charge
costs are typically spent on energy. Some efficiency measures
can be implemented with little or no investment. For those
Total area inside the
Kilowatts
improvements requiring a larger initial outlay, many can pay for curve represents the
total consumption in
themselves quickly and, if planned well, can even enhance the kilowatt-hours for the day
ambience, appearance, and comfort of your establishment.
A number of opportunities for saving energy can often be
found in the end-use areas that consume the most energy. In 24-hour period
a typical restaurant, cooking, water heating, refrigeration, and
lighting represent between 69 and 81 percent of total use
depending on climate, making those systems the best targets
for energy savings (see illustration, next page).
management recommendations, keep in mind how each one
In order to better manage your building’s energy costs, it
will affect both your consumption and demand.
helps to understand how you are charged for those costs.
Most utilities charge commercial buildings for their natural Quick Fixes
gas based on the amount of energy delivered. Electricity, on
Restaurants tend to operate with narrow profit margins and
the other hand, can be charged based on two measures—con-
have pretax income that is 4 to 7 percent of total revenue. So
sumption and demand (Figure 1). The consumption
achieving just a 20 percent reduction in energy costs will
component of the bill is based on the amount of electricity, in
translate directly into an additional 1 percent in profit. The
kilowatt-hours (kWh), that the building consumes during a
following low- or no-cost steps can have a real impact on
month. The demand component is the peak demand, in kilo-
restaurants’ bottom line.
watts, occurring within the month or, for some utilities,
during the previous 12 months. Demand charges can range Turning Things Off
from a few dollars per kilowatt-month to upwards of $20 per Too often lights, ventilation fans, and other equipment are left
kilowatt-month. Because it can be a considerable percentage on when not in use. Consider this fact: Every 1,000 kWh that
of your bill, you should take care to reduce peak demand you save by turning things off equals $100 off your utility bill
whenever possible. As you read the following energy cost- (assuming average electricity costs of 10 cents per kWh).
Energy consumption by end use in restaurants for five U.S. climate zones
Climate zone 1 Climate zone 2 Climate zone 3
Miscellaneous Miscellaneous
Miscellaneous
Office equipment 6% Heating Office equipment 6% Heating Office equipment 6% Heating
1% 1% 11% Cooling 1% 8% Cooling
22% 2% 7%
Refrigeration Cooling Refrigeration Refrigeration
Ventilation Ventilation
14% 1% 13% 13%
3% 2%
Ventilation Water heating
14% 27%
30% 1% Cooking 40% Cooking
Water heating 24% Water heating
Cooking 17% Lighting
Lighting 10% Lighting
8% 12%
Climate zone 4 Climate zone 5
Miscellaneous Miscellaneous
Office equipment 4% Heating Cooling 7% Heating
1% 4% Office equipment 1% Cooling
7% 1%
Refrigeration Ventilation 17%
10% 3% Refrigeration
16% Ventilation
Water heating 4%
14%
43% 30% Water heating
Cooking Lighting Cooking 10%
14% Lighting
14%
Climate zones
Zone 1 is less than 2,000 CDD
and greater than 7,000 HDD.
Zone 2 is less than 2,000 CDD
and 5,500–7,000 HDD.
Zone 3 is less than 2,000 CDD
and 4,000–5,499 HDD.
Zone 4 is less than 2,000 CDD
and less than 4,000 HDD.
Zone 5 is 2,000 CDD or more
and less than 4,000 HDD.
Note: CDD = cooling degree days; HDD = heating degree days Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration
An energy management system or a series of occupancy Develop simple energy management procedures—with
sensors—especially in walk-in coolers and other storage checklists—and assign responsibility between shifts and
areas—can be installed to turn off or turn down equip- at the end of the day for turning off cooking equip-
ment automatically. A less costly alternative is to simply ment, exhaust fans, lights, computers, and other office
inform your staff about being conscious of energy use. equipment.
© 2002 E Source Companies LLC
Turning Things Down Check air-conditioning temperatures. With a ther-
For equipment that you choose not to turn off entirely, mometer, check the temperature of the return air going
such as air conditioning and heating systems, set con- to your air conditioner and then check the temperature
trols to minimum levels during operating hours and of the air coming out of the register nearest the air-con-
turn down temperature settings on HVAC equipment ditioning unit. If the temperature difference is less than
and water heaters just before closing each night. 14° Fahrenheit (F) or more than 22°F, have a licensed
(Programmable thermostats can do this job automati- technician inspect your air-conditioning unit.
cally.) In spaces where natural lighting is available, dim Change filters. Filters should be changed monthly;
lights in proportion to the availability of sunlight. Keep they should be changed more often if you are located
your refrigeration units set at the appropriate tempera- next to a highway or construction site where the air is
ture—but no cooler than necessary. much dirtier.
Repair and Maintenance Check cabinet panels. On a quarterly basis, make sure
Keep lights clean. Clean lighting fixtures and bulbs to the panels to your rooftop air-conditioning unit are fully
ensure they continue to perform as designed (especially attached with all screws in place, and check that gaskets
if you use dimmers). are intact so no air leaks out of the cabinet. If chilled air
leaks out, it can cost $100 per rooftop unit per year in
Inspect refrigerator and freezer doors. Poorly main-
wasted energy.
tained refrigerator doors can leak cool air, which means
the cooler runs unnecessarily to maintain the proper tem- Clean condenser coils. Check condenser coils quarterly
perature. Replace worn gaskets and make sure doors are for trash or natural debris that can collect there.
aligned properly. Also check that automatic door closers Check for airflow. Hold your hand up to air registers to
are functioning and strip curtains are not damaged. ensure that there is adequate airflow. If there is little
Check the HVAC. Restaurant operators will get some of airflow, or if dirt and dust are coming out of the regis-
their biggest payoffs from maintenance and repairs of air- ter, have a technician inspect your unit and ducts.
conditioning, space-heating, and ventilation systems.
Longer-Term Solutions
Some simple checks can indicate problems. But regularly
scheduled preventive maintenance should help to avoid Commissioning
costly fixes while also keeping your energy bills down. Commissioning is a process in which engineers observe a
building and perform a tune-up to ensure that its systems
Check the economizer. Many air-conditioning systems
are operating appropriately and efficiently. Continuously
use a dampered vent called an economizer to draw in
monitoring a building’s energy systems can lead to reduc-
cool outside air when it is available to reduce the need for
tions of 10 to 15 percent in annual energy bills. For the
mechanically cooled air. If not regularly checked, the
typical 15,000-ft2 restaurant, that could mean $8,000 in
linkage on the damper can seize up or break. An econo-
savings per year! Commissioning also allows you to eval-
mizer stuck in the fully opened position can add as much
uate airflows between cooking and dining areas and to
as 50 percent to a building’s annual energy bill by allow-
use that information for implementing air-pressure bal-
ing hot air in during the air-conditioning season and
ancing measures. Commissioning usually costs between
cold air in during the heating season. Have a licensed
5 and 40 cents/ft2.
technician check, clean, and lubricate your economizer’s
linkage about once a year and make repairs if necessary.
© 2002 E Source Companies LLC
Kitchen Measures T8 lamps and electronic ballasts can cut 35 percent off
Cooking equipment, coolers, and dishwashers are your lighting bill. Adding specular reflectors, new lenses,
energy hogs in a restaurant. High-efficiency cooking and occupancy sensors or timers can double the savings.
equipment can be 15 to 30 percent more energy effi- Paybacks of one to three years are common.
cient than standard equipment. For example, induction Illuminate signs with LEDs. Replace incandescent exit
cookware and lightwave ovens are highly efficient and signs, exterior signs, and menu boards with ones lit by
appropriate for commercial applications. light-emitting diodes (LEDs). Because LEDs direct light
Smart vent hoods. Intelligent, variable-speed hood con- very effectively, they can draw less than 5 watts to illu-
troller systems can significantly reduce energy costs in minate a sign, whereas an incandescent bulb would use
commercial kitchens. In appropriate applications, this 40 watts to produce the same effect. Although initial
technology yields a one- to two-year simple payback. A costs for LEDs are high, you’ll also save on maintenance
photoelectric smoke or heat detector determines when costs—the lamps can last 5 to 10 years.
and how much ventilation is needed and activates the Use smart lighting design in parking lots. Many
exhaust fan at the proper speed. restaurants set their peak demand when they turn on
Evaporator fan controllers in coolers. Nearly all lights in parking lots. And parking lots are often
walk-in coolers have forced-circulation evaporators designed with far more lighting than most lighting
that contain motorized propeller fans. These fans run experts recommend—in its Lighting Handbook (2000),
continuously, despite the fact that full airflow is only the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America
necessary 50 percent of the time. Inexpensive con- recommends an average of one foot-candle or less for
troller devices are now available that slow these fans most cases. Not only is overlighting costly, it can be dan-
when full cooling capabilities are not necessary. gerous to drivers if their eyes cannot adjust fast enough
in the transition from highly lit to dark areas. For a new
Lighting Measures parking lot, consider low-wattage metal halide lamps in
Switch to compact fluorescent lamps. Replacing incan- fixtures that direct the light downward, instead of high-
descent bulbs with compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) not pressure sodium lamps. Even though the wattage is
only saves energy, but the bulbs also last much longer and lower, you could safely use fewer lamps if this type of
save on maintenance. One restaurant owner replaced 20 lighting were adopted.
100-watt bulbs with CFLs that used less energy, helping
the restaurant to save more than $400 per year. CFLs are
The Bottom Line
now available in 2,700-kelvin models that produce a The conservation measures discussed here represent
warm color tone similar to that of incandescent lamps. good investments, depending on your location, facility
You can also adjust their light intensity by installing dim- design, and energy costs. Not only will they help you to
mable ballasts. Be sure to use CFLs in appropriate save money on your energy bills, but they can also
ballasts, especially if dimmers are in the circuit. enhance the aesthetics of your restaurant, giving a
potential double boost to your bottom line.
Install T8 lamps and electronic ballasts. If your facil-
ity uses T12 fluorescent lamps, relamping with the latest
© 2002 E Source Companies LLC
