Energy conservation

Nation's Restaurant News, August 26, 1985

A. That is a very complex area. You must look at each piece of equipment individually, on the basis of life cycle cost economics. For example, if you're looking at fryers, you should choose the one that's cost effective not only in terms of energy but also cost effective in terms of the long-term operations cost, maintenance cost and so forth. Also to be considered are individual requirements and preferences and the equipment's thru-put/production capacity. So really a complex checklist is needed to ensure that all those factors are considered in making a selection.

Q. Are equipment manufacturers paying greater attention to energy conservation features today?

A. I think they are. The oven manufacturers, for example, have gone to the forced air/convection ovens. And take a look at some of the other things that are happening. Pizza ovens, for example. Not only are they going to convection cooking, but they're also now featuring direct impingement of hot air on the surface of the food. This "jet sweep' oven puts the hot air through a blower, producing a very high velocity hot air stream that is directed on the surface of the food. What this does is prevent a surface of laminar, dead air from forming around the material you're cooking. Dead air is one of the best insulators you can come up with. So manufacturers are certainly working on energy usage improvements.

Q. Finally, what are some of the basics of a good energy management program?

A. There are two points that should be kept in mind. First of all, from my point of view, when I'm designing something I want the people who will be operating the facility or equipment involved. From the very start I try to incorporate some of their ideas into the overall design, because it makes them feel a part of it, and they can relate to its purposes much better and they will support it in operation.

The second thing that I often see lacking in restaurants is some kind of incentive to do things a certain way. If you want people to achieve something, then let them share in the accomplishment. The most sophisticated equipment will not work by itself. People have to want to make it work, and that's where some type of incentive program comes in.

Beyond that, an effective energy management program should be based on a list of maintenance guides and operational rules that are adhered to, and it needs to include employee training in energy conservation.