Commercial Cooking - Challenges

CHALLENGES AND BARRIERS TO ADOPTION

Minimum efficiency standards do not currently exist for appliances in the commercial food service industry. In the absence of regulation, restaurant owners and facility managers must lead the way by specifying energy efficient cooking appliances.

Although the Energy Star program provides a good starting point for finding energy efficient cooking appliances, not all appliances are covered by this program. For appliance types not rated by Energy Star, facilities can research energy efficiency options through resources such as the Food Service Technology Center, which provides appliance testing and rating results for several non-Energy Star appliances.  Additionally, Southern California Gas (SCG) publishes a food service gas equipment catalog that identifies efficient options.

Some restaurant owners and facility managers are loyal to particular equipment brands and may be hesitant to purchase an energy efficient appliance manufactured by a different brand.  To address this concern, SCG’s Food Service Equipment Center makes over 150 pieces of energy efficient equipment available, free of charge, so that restaurants can try out their own recipes on new equipment prior to making a purchase.

Even with utility rebates, energy efficient appliances can be more expensive than their conventional counterparts.  First cost is a significant hurdle in the food service industry, which typically operates on low margins, even when efficient appliances could result in a 10-30% reduction in utility costs. The first cost barrier can be amplified in the case of leased equipment. Because the leasing company is not directly affected by the energy use of the equipment it purchases, there is no incentive for it to offer energy efficient options without significant demand from its customers.

Despite these challenges, however, energy efficient commercial cooking appliances offer significant savings opportunities for the early adopters who choose to install them.

Photo Credit: Norlake