FOODSERVICE ENERGY CHALLENGE CASE STUDY - HELPING THE FOODSERVICE SECTOR SAVE ENERGY, INCREASE THEIR BOTTOM LINE AND PROTECT THE ENVIRONMENT
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FOODSERVICE ENERGY CHALLENGE CASE STUDY FOODSERVICE ENERGY CHALLENGE CASE STUDY H EL P I N G THE FO O D S E RV I CE SECTO R SAV E ENE RGY, I NCRE A S E T HE I R BOTTO M LINE A N D PROTE CT T HE E NV I RONMENT
FOODSERVICE ENERGY CHALLENGE CASE STUDY
FOOD SERVIC E ENERGY C H ALLENGE
INTRODUCTION
Foodservice is an incredibly energy-intensive industry. The energy requirements
for refrigeration, cooking, dishwashing, HVAC and lighting are ongoing, and costs
keep rising. Conserving energy wherever possible is not only the smart choice for
environmental sustainability, but also the right decision for the bottom line.
Restaurants Canada wanted to encourage operators to take advantage of the
savings and other benefits of energy conservation. So in 2018, Restaurants
Canada partnered with the Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO), Save
on Energy, ENERGY STAR® Canada, Enbridge, LEAF, New Spring Energy, Russell
Hendrix, and SilverChef to create the Foodservice Energy Challenge.
The main objective of the Challenge was to create awareness throughout the
industry, and to provide resources for operators: from suggestions for money-
saving tactics, to details about how to fully leverage incentives and rebates
when upgrading to new high-efficiency ENERGY STAR equipment. Of the 45
registrants who applied to the Challenge, several were interviewed before three
final Champions were chosen. The applicants not selected received access to
information and resources and were connected with local utilities so they could
also learn how to make their business more energy efficient.
Each Champion received an American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and
Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) Level 2 energy audit, which identified
conservation measures specific to their needs. Directed by the IESO and managed
by NewSpring Energy, the Foodservice Energy Challenge team provided training,
promotional materials and ongoing support throughout the year-long Challenge to
help the Champions raise awareness and reach their goals.
FOODSERVICE ENERGY CHALLENGE CASE STUDY
THE THREE
CHAMPIONS
Jack Astor’s Barrie
Jack Astor’s Bar and Grill is a national chain
owned by SIRCorp, with more than 40 locations
across eastern Canada. Their Barrie location
was experiencing troubling energy and water
consumption and use issues.
Manitoulin Hotel and Conference Centre
Wholly-owned and operated by First Nations people,
the Manitoulin Hotel is on the North Channel of Lake
Huron on Manitoulin Island. With only five months to
make the bulk of their annual earnings, the Manitoulin
Hotel was looking for any savings it could find on
expensive utilities.
York University, Stong Dining Hall
Stong Dining Hall is York University’s largest kitchen
facility. During the fall and winter academic terms
Stong is in constant operation, serving more than
1100 customers daily. Any improvements had to
be scheduled around the academic calendar, to
minimize student disruption.
FOODSERVICE ENERGY CHALLENGE CASE STUDY
JACK ASTOR’S
FOOD SERVIC E ENERGY C H ALLENGE
BARRIE
The Jack Astor’s location in Barrie is a busy family restaurant, open every day from 11 a.m. until 1
or 2 a.m. It occupies a standalone, purpose-built 6,700 ft² building. The restaurant was experiencing
higher-than-typical utility bills, high water usage, as well as a long-standing problem with the
ventilation over the gas range, making the area very hot in summer and very cold during the winter.
Jack Astor’s provided 24 months’ worth of consumption data for electricity, natural gas and water,
which helped the audit team analyze the end-use of their power. The ASHRAE Level 2 energy audit,
completed in November 2018, suggested 16 specific energy conservation measures, seven of which
SIRCorp chose to implement.
• Flow restrictors on water taps • Digital timer for outdoor lights
• Thermostat reprogramming • ENERGY STAR certified LED lights
in the kitchen and prep area
• Kitchen equipment startup/
shutdown procedure • Demand control kitchen
ventilation (DCKV)
• Supply air fans to be turned off when
no call for heating or cooling
In addition to these seven measures, the restaurant also decided to replace their electric make-up
air unit (MAU) with a natural gas-powered MAU.
Taken together, these eight energy conservation measures were expected to increase natural gas use
slightly but decrease electricity consumption by 81,000 kWhs and water consumption by 6,000 m³.
In fact, during the 10-month reporting period (1 March 2019 - 30 December 2019), water use dropped
6 per cent, electricity use went down 6 per cent, and natural gas usage was reduced by 2 per cent. In
2020, water consumption is predicted to be 15 per cent lower than in 2019.
Guests were vocal in their appreciation of the new LED lighting. Although the kitchen staff were
the main beneficiaries of the new Demand Control Kitchen Ventilation (DCKV) system, guests also
noticed an increase in comfort when the temperature extremes were eliminated. Budget was a
concern, but Senior Facilities Manager Sartaj Bajwa highly recommends a DCKV system and adds,
“The MAU was expensive, but the long-term savings justified the expense.”
Bajwa and SIRCorp Vice-Chair Grey Sisson found the energy audit very useful: it allowed them to
see the whole picture and where they could make adjustments. “The communication from the
Foodservice Energy Challenge team was much appreciated,” says Sisson. Bajwa concurs. “Having
someone to coordinate the parties involved made it easy.”
FLOW RESTRICTORS ON WATER TAPS (WATER SAVINGS)
TOTAL SAVINGS: ($) 5,600 EST. COST: ($) 250 SIMPLE PAYBACK: 0.04
FOODSERVICE ENERGY CHALLENGE CASE STUDY
MANITOULIN HOTEL &
FOOD SERVIC E ENERGY C H ALLENGE
CONFERENCE CENTRE
As the only provider of premium accommodations on Manitoulin Island, the Manitoulin Hotel & Conference Centre’s
summer season is short but intense. Primarily powered by an electric geothermal pump system (though guest rooms are
heated by electric heaters), the Manitoulin Hotel also uses some propane for heating, but no natural gas (as natural gas is
not available on the island). General Manager Corey Stacinski keeps a close eye on utility costs, especially as the price of
electricity has increased dramatically in the past few years.
The Manitoulin Hotel provided data on two years of electricity consumption, and 12 months of propane use. With guest
rooms, hallways and lobbies, business suites, and a large ballroom in addition to the kitchen and dining areas, HVAC is
a major part of their end-use. The ASHRAE Level 2 energy audit conducted in October 2018 produced 13 distinct energy
conservation measures. Balancing their needs and constraints, the Manitoulin Hotel opted to implement seven:
• Program banquet hall air supply fans • Motion sensors in the washrooms
• Thermostat reprogramming • ENERGY STAR certified LED lights in
the kitchen and prep area
• Kitchen equipment startup/shutdown procedure
• ENERGY STAR certified stand-up
• Program heating and cooling set points to
freezer (x2)
more aggressive settings
These measures were predicted to reduce electrical consumption by 10 per cent annually, with some small propane
savings in the kitchen as well. In the eight-month reporting period, electricity consumption dropped 8.14 per cent.
When the actual rate of use is extrapolated for a full year, that drop could climb to over 12 per cent.
The Manitoulin Hotel’s distance from large populations centres, a major plus for its guests, can be a drawback when
it comes to the availability and cost of service providers. Although intrigued by the suggestion to coat the large dining
hall windows with nano-film (in order to reduce heat penetration in the summer reducing air conditioning costs), the
hotel regretfully shelved that measure due to a shortage of available raw materials for nano-film.
Provincial policy changes in April 2019 culminated in the cancellation of several much-needed energy management
and conservation support programs, including the Business Refrigeration Incentive Program (BRIP), which the hotel
planned to use. Stacinski notes that the value of such programs emphasizes the need for the foodservice industry “to
be at the table, provincially, and advocate for industry-driven programs”.
The audit helped Stacinski gain a clearer understanding of the hotel’s energy consumption patterns and prompted
a move to a third-party electricity provider. When it came to the LED retrofit, Stacinski had nothing but praise for the
contractor. “We were able to work with a local provider -- it was a very good experience for us.”
KITCHEN EQUIPMENT START-UP / SHUTDOWN PROCEDURE
TOTAL SAVINGS: ($) 3,900 EST. COST: ($) 1,500 SIMPLE PAYBACK IN YEARS: 0.38
YORK UNIVERSITY -
FOOD SERVIC E ENERGY C H ALLENGE
STONG DINING HALL
Since 2008, York University has pursued many effective sustainability initiatives across its campus. For the Challenge, they focused
on Stong Dining Hall, their largest kitchen facility. During the summer, Stong is used only for special events and catering, but during
the fall and winter academic terms, the busy dining facility serves an average of 1,114 customers per day.
The dining hall’s heating and cooling is supplied by the university’s central plants, so natural gas consumption is comparatively
low. The York University engineering team provided 24 months of data on electricity and gas consumption for Stong Hall, so the
audit could establish an end-use framework. An ASHRAE Level 2 energy audit executed in November 2018 highlighted 10 energy
conservation measures. University management chose six of those to implement:
• Demand control kitchen ventilation (DCKV) • ENERGY STAR certified refrigeration
• ENERGY STAR certified LED lighting for the • ENERGY STAR certified oven
kitchen and dining hall • Flow restrictors on taps
• Kitchen equipment startup/shutdown procedure
These six measures were projected to lower electricity consumption by 26 per cent annually, and natural gas by 24 per cent.
A decision was made after the audit to postpone the kitchen lighting retrofit until 2021/22, when it will be part of a larger
renovation. The ENERGY STAR certified oven was installed in November 2019, and the DCKV in December 2019 -- too late to see
a major reduction in energy consumption during the reporting period, which ended in December 2019. However, there was still a
two per cent drop in usage. Going forward, a further 14 per cent decrease is expected.
Anthony Barbisan, Executive Director of Ancillary Services, is pleased with the results so far. “Having the expertise available to
analyze heating and cooling costs has been fantastic, as those recommendations will likely have the biggest single impact.”
Stong’s summer catering business has seen 15 per cent growth since the audit, and the dining hall’s hours have been
extended. “Even small inexpensive changes, including things like procedures and training, can provide results and very
short payback periods.”
Executive Chef Yaroslav Strohyj has seen an improvement in staff behaviour since the startup/shutdown procedures were
formalized. “The staff was indifferent at the beginning, but some of their perspectives have shifted.” He has noted staff
frequently reminding one another to close fridge doors and shut off lights. “Some have even taken these practices home.”
DEMAND CONTROL KITCHEN VENTILATION (DCKV)
TOTAL SAVINGS: ($) 7,684 EST. COST: ($) 750 SIMPLY PAYBACK IN YEARS: 2.15
FOODSERVICE ENERGY CHALLENGE CASE STUDY
CONCLUSION
SAVING ENERGY MEANS SAVING MONEY!
Our Champions valued their experiences with the Challenge. Though they were satisfied with their outcomes
there were setbacks, of course. Manitoulin Hotel was unable to pursue their ambitious plan to coat their windows
with nano-film. York University had to delay their LED retrofit. The staff awareness campaign at Jack Astor’s
coincided with the rollout of a new menu.
But despite the hurdles, the Champions persisted. In the process, they learned valuable lessons about methods
and best practices for responsible conservation. And, of course, they started on a path that will continue to save
them both money and energy from here on out.
know where you stand take advantage of incentive
before you start /rebate programs
Each Champion provided two years’ worth of power Support, rebate and incentive programs don’t always
consumption data with which the audit team built last forever. So take advantage of them while they exist.
accurate usage models. As a result, the Champions To learn more about electricity resources, go to
felt much better informed about their regular power www.saveonenergy.ca. For gas, go to www.enbridgegas.com
usage, which will allow them to make different choices and for water, visit your local municipal website.
going forward.
make your conservation
staff awareness is key efforts part of your story
It can be difficult to communicate changes in policy and Today’s customers are as eco-conscious and
practice, especially in larger facilities. But the effort sustainability-savvy as you are. When you invest in
yields strong results, especially when positive outcomes energy-saving initiatives, let them know what measures
are shared and celebrated. Let your staff be part of you’ve taken. Customers prefer to be loyal to businesses
your energy saving strategy, they might have opportune who share their environmental values.
suggestions.
Implementing energy conservation measures will
use energy star certified led bulbs add to your bottom line, both immediately and over
time. Major retrofit not in your budget? Smaller
The simplest of the audit recommendations, switching to measures, like putting timers on supply air fans, can
LED bulbs, provided the most immediate results -- and pay for themselves in mere months and will continue
not only to the bottom line. Staff and customers alike to save money thereafter. Other low-cost suggestions
appreciated the new lighting, comfort and ambiance. include: adding timers to lights in less-used spaces;
reprogramming your thermostat more rigorously in off
hours; adjusting the temperature in your freezer to -15
degrees Celsius.
Small adjustments like these add up -- that’s what
makes them so valuable. You don’t have to make every
change at once; all you have to do is begin. As Tom
Watt, Director of Food Services at York, says, “There
are opportunities for change; the only obstacle that can
actually get in the way is an unwillingness to be better.”
Are you motivated to add sustainability to your bottom
line? Do you want to transform your energy saving
practices? Visit the Foodservice Energy Challenge site
to learn more. Be inspired by our Champions, and gain
insight into how you, too, can save energy, positively
impact your bottom line and respect the planet.
FOODSERVICE ENERGY CHALLENGE CASE STUDY PRODUCED BY RESTAURANTS CANADA 1.800.387.5649 | restaurantscanada.org info@restaurantscanada.org | @RestaurantsCA
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