Energy-Saving Tips that are Free to Implement in Kitchens, Restaurants, Cafeterias, etc
FlexMeter has conducted hundreds of “Spot Waste” audits, identifying energy waste in professional kitchens. In collaboration with institutions like the Danish Technological Institute, we’ve carried out several tests to discover energy-saving opportunities in these kitchens.
We’ve gathered some of the best tips here, but we’d like to expand the list! So send your tips to info@flexmeter.dk.
Free-to-implement tips
“Idle consumption”
The energy used outside of working hours should be minimized to essentials like refrigeration and freezing. Our advice is to take a walk around the kitchen outside of regular working hours. If something is humming, buzzing, or making noise, it’s probably using electricity.
“ESG-screening” identifies high idle consumption. It’s not as comprehensive as the “Spot Waste” audit, but it helps determine whether a deeper analysis is needed.
Correct temperatures
Producing cold and heat is one of the largest expenses, especially if both are generated simultaneously. With a few adjustments, you can significantly reduce energy consumption.
Tips:
- Are the temperatures in your cold rooms, refrigerators, and freezers set correctly? Misconfiguration by just one degree can increase energy consumption by 3-7%.
- Is the cold room arranged so that products are elevated off the floor? Consumption increases by about 7% if there’s insufficient air circulation in the cold room.
- Proper use of equipment: for example, a blast chiller uses as much energy as about 16m² of cold storage space.
Alternative menu
Given that heating and cooling are the biggest energy consumers in industrial kitchens, you might consider:
- Reducing the number of hot dishes. For example, one or more days a week could feature only cold dishes.
- Fewer hot dishes on the buffet, thus reducing the number of hot plates in use.
- Using ingredients that require less cooking time, which reduces energy consumption.
In “Spot Waster,” which FlexMeter conducts in collaboration with energy advisors with deep industry knowledge, the focus is on savings that cost nothing to implement, so the effect is immediate. The payback period for a “Catch the Wasters” audit is typically less than a year.
Research shows there are huge savings to be found by simply adjusting cooling and freezing systems correctly. In collaboration with the Danish Technological Institute, we’ve contributed to this research.
Read more here: https://elforsk.dk/nyheder/restauranter-skal-lave-laekker-mad-med-lavere-energiforbrug