Energy Saving Tips

Learn more about energy efficient savings for your business.

 

 

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Ovens

  • Combi ovens diversify the kitchen’s cooking options and can help save energy. Compared to a traditional steamer, a combi oven can cut your appliance cooking cost in half. Consider a high-efficiency combi option, including those with the ENERGY STAR® logo, and potentially chop your costs by at least another 30 percent. (Source: Foodservice Technology Center)
  • 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)
  • 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)
  • 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.

Dishwashers / Booster Water Heater

  • A natural gas booster water heater for sanitizing dishware can lower operating costs drastically and save operators well over 50 percent compared to electric booster water heaters, while reducing emissions to the environment. (Source: Blue Flame Alliance)
  • 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®)

Fryers / Griddles / Pasta Cookers

  • 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)
  • Don’t leave the high-efficiency decision for your next natural gas griddle on the back burner! A griddle with the ENERGY STAR® logo can save you 30 percent off your annual appliance energy costs. Those savings add up to the amount of hot water energy needed for a commercial kitchen to use its dishwasher for six months! (Source: Foodservice Technology Center)

Kitchen hood Demand Control Ventilation

  • 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)

Steam Equipment

  • Consider a natural gas steamer for your kitchen and save energy. A high-efficiency steamer, including those with the ENERGY STAR® logo, can save well over half the annual appliance energy cost. (Source: Foodservice Technology Center)

Did you know? Nearly 90% of Chefs prefer cooking with natural gas

  • 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

  • It pays to use natural gas for your foodservice cooking operations based on the costs associated with the average foodservice kitchen. Did you know that restaurants use 5 to 7 times more energy per square foot compared to any other type of commercial facility? Source: Energy Star®
  • 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

Foodservice Learning Center

  • Take advantage of CenterPoint Energy’s complimentary Foodservice Learning Center in Minneapolis, Minn., one of only a few of its kind in the nation to test the latest energy-efficient, natural gas commercial cooking equipment. If you’re not familiar with high-efficiency natural gas foodservice equipment, you can try before you buy and compare and test the latest models.