Energy Efficiency Advice & Tips
Catering Equipment
Catering operations use a wide variety of highly energy intensive equipment to provide
services and meals to customers. The energy used by this equipment varies considerably
depending on: how it is used, how regularly it is maintained and how it is set up
within the kitchen environment.
- Buy energy efficient equipment
-
The running costs of kitchen equipment are often 5–10 times more than its capital
cost. Selecting energy efficient products at the point of purchase will improve
the potential for saving energy across the lifetime of the equipment (typically
10–15 years).
- Use energy saving technologies
-
A range of energy saving technologies is now available that aid catering efficiency
through better control of the cooking process and the kitchen environment. These
technologies provide significant savings for most organisations and often pay for
themselves in less than three years. Assess the feasibility of installing the following
energy saving technologies:
- Control technology that automatically switches down or switches off cooking equipment
that is not being used (e.g. automatic hob switch off controls).
- Installing variable speed drives (VSDs) on ventilation equipment where appropriate,
including both kitchen exhaust air and make up air intakes.
- Fit oven thermometers to achieve more accurate cooking times and to minimise opening
of oven doors.
- Install motion detectors or occupancy sensors in store rooms.
- Use 7-day time switches where possible to automatically switch off equipment at
the end of shifts, weekends and during holiday periods. These can be applied to
extract fans for example.
- Carryout Regular maintenance. Routine scheduled maintenance is essential to ensure
efficient operation of modern catering facilities. This will:
-
- Aid efficiency of the catering set-up
- Increase equipment life
- Prevent unscheduled breakdowns
- Improve food safety and hygiene
Other Energy Efficiency Advice and Tips: