View energy-saving tips that can help make a difference in the amount of energy you use and money you save.

Water Heating

  • Condensing hot water heaters recover heat from combustion flue gas for your domestic hot water, saving you about 10 to 15 percent in hot water energy costs. Save more with rebates available on certain models. Details at CenterPointEnergy.com/BusinessRebates.
  • Hot water from your faucet can be conserved by incorporating low-flow aerators into your facility resulting in savings of 25 percent or more on your water heating costs.

Programmable Thermostats

Scheduling heating and cooling needs with a programmable or Wi-Fi thermostat as part of your overall building automation plan can save you energy. Set the thermostat back 7-10 F when the building is unoccupied for at least eight hours and save as much as 10 percent on heating costs. (Source: DOE)

Heating

  • As part of your building automation system, adding boiler controls (such as cut-out and reset controls) can save you energy and money by optimizing your hot water temperature. This helps your boiler operate about 5 percent more efficiently.
  • The ventilation load on a commercial building can account for half of your heating bill. You can avoid paying for over-ventilation by installing a demand control ventilation system to automatically adjust the amount of fresh air intake based on carbon dioxide levels (occupancy) in the room.
  • About 5 percent or more of steam traps fail each year, wasting energy and money. CenterPoint Energy recommends developing a plan for assessing steam traps as part of your overall building and steam heating system maintenance plan, to ensure your steam traps are regularly checked with a professional steam trap survey to identify any failed traps.
  • A natural gas hydronic heating system with a condensing boiler can operate 10 percent (or more) efficiently than one with a standard efficiency or non-condensing boiler. If it’s time to replace your boiler, consider upgrading to a condensing efficiency system.
  • Having your boiler tuned-up at least every two years can increase boiler operating efficiency from 1 to 5 percent.
  • Infrared and condensing unit heaters can operate 10 percent more efficiently than standard natural gas unit heaters.
  • Linkageless controls optimize your boiler’s combustion efficiency, saving about 3 percent on space heating costs.

Rebate Program

Remember, rebate applications for natural gas equipment installations must be submitted by Dec. 31 of each year

Foodservice Equipment

  • Many operators still refer to the convection oven as a “wind” oven. With a fan rotating the hot air around the oven cavity, it is vital to lower the cooking temperatures from the standard recipe. With lower temperatures and shorter cook times, an operator can save up to 25 percent on energy costs every time. (Source: Foodservice Technology Center)
  • All cooking appliances benefit from being kept clean and most are very easy to maintain. When appliances run at peak efficiency, energy is maximized. For range tops, keep burner heads clean to maximize the flame and work at peak efficiency. A wavy or yellow flame is a sign the burner needs attention and you need to call an authorized service agent.
  • High efficiency dishwashers don’t just save water, they save natural gas. Dishwashers that recirculate hot water reduce the demand on the natural gas water heater and save $200 in natural gas costs and 50,000 gallons of water per year. (Source: EnergyStar®)
  • Invest in a high-efficiency fryer with faster recovery times and save energy. Better cooking efficiency and optimized idle rates can save 30 to 50 percent over the annual operational cost of a standard-efficiency fryer. (Source: Foodservice Technology Center)
  • Make your next conveyor oven a high-efficiency natural gas unit and save! A high-efficiency conveyor oven with California Energy Wise (CEW) cooking energy efficiency rating can save 25 percent of the annual appliance energy cost. (Source: Foodservice Technology Center)
  • Lots of energy gets exhausted through your kitchen hood. A kitchen hood demand control ventilation (DCV) system will save you energy when your appliances are idling. Don’t blow those savings away! Install DCV and save approximately 30 percent of your hood system HVAC costs. (Source: Foodservice Technology Center)
  • Combi ovens diversify the kitchen’s cooking options and can help save energy. Consider a high-efficiency combi option, including those with the ENERGY STAR® logo, and potentially chop your costs by at least 30 percent. (Source: Foodservice Technology Center)
  • Did you know nearly 90 percent of chefs prefer cooking with natural gas? Due to excellent results and up to a 50 percent reduction in operating costs on high efficiency natural gas equipment, it’s the preferred choice of foodservice operators. Source: Blue Flame Alliance Chef Energy Preference Study”

Foodservice Energy Savings

  • Restaurants use 5 to 7 times more energy per square foot compared to any other type of commercial facility. The energy SAVINGS of a high-efficiency natural gas fryer is equal to the same amount of energy used in 1 home per year and saves over 4 metric tons of CO2 emissions which is the same as or equal to 1 car being removed from the roadway. This is why using high efficiency, natural gas foodservice equipment in your commercial kitchen can help you save significantly on your foodservice equipment environmental impact. Source: Energy Star®
  • When running a commercial kitchen, ask your kitchen staff and chefs to focus on turning equipment down or off when it is not being used to save energy. Up to 50 percent of appliance energy consumption is used when equipment is on but nothing is cooking. Posting a start-up and shutdown schedule on each appliance as a guide is a simple yet effective way to keep track of equipment energy consumption if your appliances do not have an automatic idle control to automatically reduce this wasted energy. Source: Foodservice Technology Center

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