Energy Use. Restaurants. Report to the. (Tampa Bay Area) Florida Energy Off ice. Submitted by. University of Florida

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1 A Profile of Energy Use in Restaurants (Tapa Bay Area) c Report to the Florida Energy Off ice Subitted by Karen C. Miller Energy Extension Service FAS University of Florida January 1, 1992

2 Acknowledgeents This project was conducted by the Energy Extension Service, University of Florida through the FAS Cooperative Extension Service. Funding was provided by the Florida Energy Office for educational prograing as well as this needs assessent of the Florida restaurant industry. The Energy Extension Service would like to thank the Florida Energy Office, particularly Mr. John Stark and Mr. Edward Cobha, for their interest in this iportant group of Florida energy users, would like to express special appreciation to Alexander Other, auditor for Sall Business Developent Center of the University of South Florida, for his help in conducting nearly 50 audits of restaurants in Hillsborough County. Without his diligent effort and personal collection of onitoring and easuring apparatus, we would have never been able to quantify the types of inforation that are presented in this report. n addition, would like to thank: Mr. Robert Nelson of the Florida Restaurant Association for support in our survey efforts by supplying restaurateur naes and addresses, and overall interest in this progra. Mr. Harold Schultz of Tapa Electric Copany for his expertise, referrals, and inforation on the local utility as well as providing electric billing histones for the restaurants participating in this study. Ms. Barbara Salei of Peoples Gas Copany for supplying gas billing histories for the restaurants participating in this study. Mr. Jack Johnson of Tapa Foods, Ltd. (Wendy's), for his expertise in restaurant aintenance issue 9. And Mr. Roy Johannesen, Florida Power Cofporation, fierly of the Enera Extension Service, for his technical expertise on HVAC and refrigeration systes.

3 A Profile of Restaurant Energy Use - Conducted in Hillsborough County, Florida - Situation Restaurants are the ost energy intensive coercial space in Aerica. Nationally, restaurants are reported to use 550,000 BTUs per square foot annually. This is copared to 150,000 BTUs per square foot for hotels and 90,000 for retail spaces (NFU, 1990). There are over 45,766 food service licenses, nearly 20,000 restaurants, and 2.7 illion restaurant seats in Florida. These establishents are concentrated in the coastal population centers and the tourist afeas of the central part of the state (see Appendix A). The restaurant industry is a growth industry. Mike Hurst, (1991), iediate past President of the National Restaurant Association, reported national predictions for 200,000 ore food service units by the year 2000 with a 30% increase in new jobs. This is the fastest growing business in the country. National data indicates utilities account for 3% of a restaurant's operating costs - or $7.5 billion for the total industry. The national picture of energy use within restaurants is priarily in food preparation and HVAC (heating, ventilation and air-conditioning) as seen in Figure 1. Food and Beverage Energy Use Sanitation 17.% reparation 34.% HVAC 2% 'Based on 199 data Source: National Restaurant Association, Restaurant fndustry Operations Report '90 Figure 1. Energy Use within Restaurants. 1

4 Objectives This project was established to assist Florida's ost energy intensive coercial business with energy efficiency inforation. The objectives addressed in this paper were: Conduct a survey of the restaurant industry in the target area to deterine area need and to build a base for developing training progras and necessary aterials. = Contact the local utilities and enlist their voluntary support in perforing walk-through audits of local restaurant establishents. n addition, a copy of the written results of the audits will be provided to the individual restaurateur to aid in developing alternatives for energy conservation, and assessing the econoic ipact of retrofits. = Develop an industry profile to aid in the developent of an econoic basis for energy conservation. This shall be used to provide the necessary econoic data to justify the retrofits and other conservation easures to enhance the restaurateur's profit argin. = Provide benchark energy consuption data to the restaurants in the target area, 'Phis shall be accoplished in a anner siilar to that established in the hotel industry. n that industry, the ethod used was to copare energy consuption based on the capacity of the building, type of building, type of air conditioning syste installed, and the onthly utility cost for that particular building. We are trying to pinpoint how energy is used within Florida restaurants by collecting data fro various sources. All are detailing the picture of restaurant energy use. n addition, these efforts have served to ake the industry aware of our progra, build cooperators, and provide assistance to our target population. Site of the Project Hillsborough County was chosen for the site of this project. t is now part of the largest etropolitan arket area in the state. This defined area includes Hillsborough, Pinellas, Hernando, and Pasco Counties. n Hillsborough County alone, there are 2,037 food service licenses and 1,269 restaurants. Locally we feel there are 00 restaurants that would be excellent targets for this progra and about,000 statewide. A target restaurant was defined as being opened year round, over 30 seats and excluded eployee cafeterias, ice crea and donut locations, and sport concessions. The Strategies A three phase approach is being used to study restaurant energy use - - ail survey, a study of utility bills, and audits of restaurants. The Mail Survey A broad survey of the restaurant industry in Hillsborough County was conducted to deterine current energy practices and educational needs. The questionnaire was developed to address five objectives: to ascertain the extent energy conservation practices that are being used within the restaurant industry, 2

5 to easure the extent of ipleentation of efficiency technologies in the restaurant industry, to deterine deographic characteristics of the restaurants, to deterine if restaurateurs had energy audits in the past or would want one if offered, and to obtain perission to receive utility data for the 12 previous onths to deterine the aounts of energy used by the restaurants in our target area. n order to deterine conservation practices and technologies ost coonly recoended within the industry, an extensive literature search was undertaken. Sources of inforation were included fro project cooperators such as the Florida Restaurant Association, Tapa Electric Copany, Peoples Gas Copany as well as various State Energy Office projects. The energy conservation practices and efficiency technologies identified fro the various sources were copiled in a database. Nearly 270 distinct conservation opportunities for the restaurant industry were identified. Experts fro the utility, construction, echanical engineering and restaurant aintenance industries exained the opportunities and agreed on 7 Conservation practices and 6 efficiency technologies to include in the survey. The criteria for selection of practices and technologies for the survey were that they represent an energy efficiency opportunity that would ake a difference and the range of ites used would exeplify varying levels of coitent to conservation efforts. he conservation practices chosen were: urn off ventilation hoods when not in use. Load and unload ovens rapidly. Match pots to burner size, and use tight fitting lids. Reove excess water and or ice crystal build-up before frying. Load griddles and grills to capacity and turn off sections when not in use. Check gas cooking flaes for color - - yellow is wasteful, blue is efficient. Shut off sections of the restaurant when not in use and change teperature settings and turn off the lights in these sections. The eficiency technologies were: nclude proper procedures on energy efficiencies in eployee training progras. Awnings or exterior shading such as natural shrubbery. nterior shading such as blinds or other window treatents. Tiers or sensors on outdoor lighting to prevent lighting in daylight hours. Fluorescent or lower wattage energy efficient lights such as PL lighting. Heat recovery units that use waste heat for water heating. 3

6 The questionnaire was constructed and reevaluated by the panel as well as an expert in survey instruent construction. The survey was ailed to a randoly selected saple of 570 of the 00 priary target restaurateurs in the Hillsborough County population of restaurants. n Noveber of 1990, the surveys were sent to restaurateurs, addressed individually with a letter explaining the project, and the iportance of their participation. A follow-up post card reinder was sent after three weeks. Mail Survey Results Of 570 questionnaires ailed, 9 responses were received and 47 were returned by the post office as no forwarding address. Responses on energy conservation practices (Table 11, indicated the ajority of people responding to the survey reported they "always" or "soeties" did the conservation practices we asked about. The ost attention was given to hoods and oven loading and the least to checking flae quality. n visiting nearly half of these restaurants during follow-up audits, very few of these practices were observed. Within the energy efficiency technologies (Table 21, ore variation was seen in the responses. But, it sees that soe of these efficiency strategies, (e.g. interior shading and energy eecient lighting) have been accepted by the restaurant industry. When asked about additional efficiency strategies used at this restaurant, 17 of Table 1. Frequency of Energy Conservation Practices by Hillsborough County Restaurateurs. Practices Always Soetie Never Does Not Apply No Response Turn off ventilation hoods when not in use Load and unload ovens rapidly Match pots to burner size. Use tight fitting lids Reove excess water and or ice crystal build-up before frying Load griddles and grills to capacity and turn off sections when not in use Check gas cooking flaes for color. Yellow is wasteful, blue is efficient Shut off sections of the restaurant when not in use. Change teperature 47 settings and turn off the lights

7 Table 2. Energy Efficiency Technologies Available in Restaurants in Hillsborough County. Eneray Eficient Technoloa Have Do not Don't No Have Know Response Eployee training progra includes inforation on procedures tu save energy Shading Devices Awnings or Exterior Shading such as natural shrubbery nterior Shading such as blinds or other window treatents Tiers or sensors on outdoor lighting to prevent lighting in daylight hours. Fluorescent or lower wattage energy efficient lights such as PL lighting Heat recovery units that use waste heat for water heating the 9 restaurants reported a wide variety of additional strategies (Table 3). While the responses showed very strong copliance with conservation strategies, we know only those who care the ost return surveys on conservation issues. n other words, 5% of the target population ay not be sensitive to energy conservation in a restaurant. This ay indicate that first we have to create an awareness of energy use and efficiency opportunities to build interest before teaching can be effective. Table 3. Conservation Strategies in Use as Reported as Free For Response by Restaurateurs. Cold Water Rinse for Dishes Conservative Attitude Cycling Oven Tep Control Energy Manageent Syste Equipent Start-up Schedules Extra nsulation Ceiling Fans* ndoor Sensors Light Diers Preventative Maintenance Contracts Prograable Therostats Recycle Glass and Fryer Oil Solar Water Heaters Teperature Therostats Tiers on Light Switches Use Gas nstead of Electric Vestibule Walk-in Curtains War Clothing Water Conservation Water Heater Tier Wood Burning Stoves *While fans were only entioned twice on the survey, nearly one-third of the restaurants surveyed had the. 5

8 The "request for audit" question was copared to those who had reported ipleenting additional strategies. Of those who reported additional strategies had been ipleented, only 1% requested a follow-up audit copared to nearly 50% of the rest of the saple. Could this lead us to believe that if one had gone so far as to ipleent conservation easures, one ay feel their part was done or there was nothing else to do? Utility Bill Study As part of the ail survey any restaurants gave us perission to obtain one year billing histories fro the gas and electric utility copanies. Our intent was to develop a onthly energy use per square foot index with this data. This phase of the project is on hold because the square footage reported by these restaurateurs in the ail survey was not valid. Very few restaurant anagers could report the size of their facility. n addition, as energy use by onth was analyzed, inconsistencies have been found in the noralization of the data. n the future we will propose to go back and work with this data again as well as easure these facilities. This will allow us to develop an energy use per square foot index adjusted for weather by onth. Audits The original plan to conduct audits through utility copanies becae coplicated by gas and electric both being a part of operations. When it was decided to use the audits as an inforation gathering tool, it was necessary to use an audit process that would not be subject to fuel bias issues and to quantify both energy use and savings opportunities. An independent organization, the Sall Business Developent Center (SBDC) and its Energy Auditor was used to conduct the audits. Because this progra, funded by the Florida Energy Office, has sall businesses as a prie target, restaurants are considered an iportant audience. The SBDC at the University of South Florida and the Energy Extension Service (EES) of the University of Florida, pursued a joint venture in the audit of the target restaurants and the copilation of data collected. The SBDC Auditor was copletely responsible for the content and validity of the data. The EES Agent was priarily responsible for obtaining restaurants to audit, observation of eployee habits, follow-up education with the developent of ipleentation strategies, and the copilation of the data. Restaurant Characteristics Forty-six restaurants were audited by the SBDC Auditor with the EES Agent assisting. The initial requests for audits cae through a question on the ail survey. After a period of tie, soe requests for audits were ade directly to Table 4. Profile of the Restaurants Surveyed in Hillsborough County. Nuber of Restaurants Copleted 46 Nuber of Square Feet Evaluated 234,940 Total Energy Dollars Spent Nuber of BTUs Consued by these Restaurants 1.6 illion 120 illion 6

9 survey. After a period of tie, soe requests for audits were ade directly to the Energy Extension progra and these were included in the analysis of the data. The restaurants audited included over 234,940 square feet and over $1.6 illion in utility bills. Cobined, these establishents used over 120 billion BTUs annually in the operation of these restaurants (Table 4). A cross section of restaurant types were audited. The vast ajority were full service (Table 5). A variety of types of ownership were represented, individual, franchise, and corporate (Table 6). Eighty-four different data points were collected or calculated for each restaurant in the SBDC audit forat (Table 7). Table 5. 2YLX Types of Restaurants &feyed in Hillsborough County. Nuber in saple Full Service 26 Quick Serve 4 Pizza 4 Pubs 4 Priarily Catering 2 Country Club 2 These data points were presented in the report that was given to each restaurant and were used in the accuulated inforation on the restaurants. Table 6. Representative Restaurants Audited and Assessed for Energy Eficiency. Chili s (C) Pizza Hotline () Ruby Tuesday (C) Skipper s () TG Friday s (C> Sun Lin () Villanova () Proud Lion () Mel s Hot Dogs () Roanos () Buddy Freddy s () Porter & Sons () Palios Bros. () Wright Gouret () Storch & Sons () Pebble Creek () Wendy s (F) BT Bones () Ho Ho Chinese Restaurant () Burger King (F) Outback Steakhouse (C) Crazy Wings (F) Bullfrog Creek Lounge () Spaghetti Warehouse (C) Manny s () Rico s Pizza () Lupton s () Sizzler (F) Mexican Cafe Anita () McDonald s (F) Tapa Yacht Club () Red Lobster (C) Ownership = (c) Corporate, (F) Franchise, () ndividual 7

10 Table 7. Data Collected and Provided for Each Restaurant Through the SBDC Audit Report Forat a Nuber of Square Feet Total cost of Energy Total BTU usage Equivalent Barrels of oil used Electrical usage in Dollars Electrical usage in KWH Electrical usage in BTU Gas usage in Dollars Gas usage in Thers Gas usage in BTU Toxic eission equivalent Total estiated Dollar savings possible Total estiated BTU savings possible Total estiated Barrel of oil savings possible Monthly Bill savings Eissions reduction Operating hours Reduction possible-long ter Controlled zones Optiu syste size - no load Optiu cost operation - no load for ac & heat Window surface (in sq. feet) Missing building caulk and door seals Ventilation readings (in c h) Additional AC load fro building factors AC cost of operation with building load Estiated AC lost efficiency in Dollardyear Estiated AC lost efficiency in Dollardonth Estiated AC lost efficiency in BTU Therostat Calibration - % off Abient teperature Huidity Total watts in use KWH used per year in lighting BTU used per year in lighting Estiated dollar saving/yr. with lighting placeent and switching Estiated dollar saving/o. with lighting placeent and' switching Estiated BTU saving with lighting placeent and switching Estiated lost efficiency in electric appliance load in dolladyr. Estiated lost efficiency in electric appliance load in dollardo. Estiated lost efficiency in electric appliance load in BTU/yr. Estiated lost efficiency in gas appliance load in dollardyr. Estiated lost efficiency in gas appliance load in dollardyr. Estiated lost efficiency in gas appliance load in dollardyr. Voltage fluctuation % over +10 volts % over +25 volts Estiated Reduction fro Passive Shading of AC Unit and Windows in BTU/yr. Estiated Reduction fro Positive Action Switching Progra in BTU/yr. Estiated Reduction fro Reduce Hot Water to 110 Deg. in BTU/yr. Estiated Reduction fro Adjust and Balance Ventilation in BTU/yr. Estiated Reduction fro Stock Refrigeration Units Properly in BTU/yr. Estiated Reduction fro clean and Adjust All Gas Equipent in BTU/yr. Estiated Yearly Reduction in BTU fro ites suggested in no cost progra Estiated Monthly Reduction fro ites suggested in no cost progra in dollars Estiated Monthly Reduction fro ites suggested in no cost progra in KWH Estiated Reduction fro Tinting & Added nsulation on nside Window in dollardyr. Estiated Reduction fro Cleaning & Repairing Vent Systes in dollarslyr. Estiated Reduction fro Repair Buildings Caulking & Seals, WindowdDoordCeilings etc. in dollardyr. Estiated Reduction fro Repair or nstall Hot Water Pipe nsulation & Refrigeration Seals in dollarsdyr. Estiated Reduction fro Energy Saver Light Bulbs in dollardyr. Estiated Yearly Reduction in BTU fro ites suggested in low cost progra Estiated Monthly Utility Bill Reduction fro ites suggested in low cost progra in dollars Estiated Yearly Utility Bill Reduction fro ites suggested in low cost progra in KWH Estiated Reduction fro Air Curtains in doll ardyr. Estiated Reduction fro Theral Windows in dollardyr. Estiated Reduction fro Energy Efficient Ballast Estiated Reduction fro Energy Efficient Appliances and Motors in dollardyr. Estiated Yearly Reduction in BTU fro ites suggested in long ter progra Estiated Monthly Reduction fro ites suggested in long ter progra in dollars Estiated Monthly Reduction in KWH fro ites suggested in long ter progra

11 Energy Condition of the Restaurants Various suppleental inforation was collected on the status of the restaurants at the tie of the audit. The ajority of audits were perfored in the late winter or early spring before the Florida weather begins to create additional energy deands. Tie of day also affected the status readings. The audits were conducted during slack periods -- in the orning before lunch preparations began or in the afternoon before dinner preparation. This hapered getting status readings when the restaurant was being used fully. The tie of the audits was selected by the restaurant anager. Energy Use in the Restaurants At the tie of the audit, the area of the restaurants were easured. These facilities ranged fro a 700 square foot take-out pizza to a 19,900 square foot yacht club (Table ). Even though all the square feet in the yacht club were being used, it was decided to just use the area directly related to food service for this study even though suggestions ade to the anageent were for the entire facility. The prior year s average annual energy cost (gas and electric) for these facilities was $35,45 with a high of $6,700 and a low of $4,900. Electric use averaged 415,973 KWH annually with the high of 1,049,20 KWH and the low of 36,00 KWH. The gas use averaged 13,427 thers with a high of 3,09 thers and low of 0 (because soe restaurants were all electric). The high user in all categories was a large, high volue, lunch-dinner chain (one of the poorest aintained of any restaurant audited). The low cost was the 700 square foot take-out pizza establishent using a very efficient radiant conveyor oven, little air-conditioning, fluorescent lighting, and no gas hook-ups. Table. Energy Use in Audited Restaurants. Audit tes Average - Low Range High Size of Restaurant (sq. R) 5, Electric Usage in KWH 415,973 36,00 Gas Usage in thers 13,427 none Total Cost of Energy $35,45 $4,900 19,900 1,049,20 3,09 $6,700 Total BTUs used 2,617,6, ,104,960 BTUs per sq.ft. (annually) 512,56 135,700 7,39,053,360 1,126,1 9

12 Probably the best basis of coparison of the restaurants used in this study was the annual BTUs per square foot. This had an enorous range fro 1,126,1 BTUs to 135,700 BTUs. The ost intense energy user by this index was an operation that suffered fro poor building construction and poor aintenance. The third highest user per square foot was a unit of a large quick serve chain. t was the 5th built in a chain of over 6,000 restaurants. This older facility was in need of serious aintenance. Cofort Factors Various types of inforation related to guest cofort were recorded (Table 9). Data were collected on the teperature and huidity of the space, calibration of the therostat, air balance of the ventilation syste, and watts of lighting. The teperatures in the restaurants, at tie of audit, averaged 74 degrees. Most were using the air-conditioning even if it was considerably before the first custoer was expected. The low teperature recorded was 64 degrees and the high was 2 degrees. The therostat calibration was off by an average of 9% higher than our theroeter readings of abient teperature. This eans that if an eployee goes to the therostat and sees the teperature reads 0 degrees, the teperature ay actually be 73 degrees. For eployees who are quite war fro the activity of serving and preparing eals, it is easy to believe the teperature is 0. When that airconditioner is then set lower, say to 74 degrees, the diner with a passive level of activity can becoe quite uncofortable as the actual teperature begins to drop toward 6 degrees. Huidity was also a significant factor in guest cofort. The target huidity for guest cofort is about 50%. The average relative huidity in the audited Table 9. Status nforation (observed conditions) Related to Cofort. Cofort te Average - Low Range High Teperatures ' Therostat Calibrations* 9% 2% 20% Huidity Ranges 59% 39% 77% Air Balance Difference (cf) Watts of Light 7,931 1,055 17,55 Watts per sq. ft *All Read Higher 10

13 restaurants was 59% and this was at the best of ties for Florida restaurants, in the winter to spring, when the restaurant was not fully operational. Only seven of the restaurants had huidity readings below 50% and in one of those it was achieved though an interior teperature of 64 degrees. Air is oved in restaurants; but, it is oved unevenly leaving soe guests feeling stuffy and others feeling a breeze. To deterine the operational efficiencies of the ventilation syste, the cf at the output vents was easured. The differences easured were as great as 120 cf within the sae restaurant. Managers felt particularly enlightened when they began to understand why the guests in the corner coplained. Lighting is an integral part of the way a restaurant chooses to do business. Light levels for dining are related to atosphere and abience issues. t is the lighting levels in soe of the kitchen areas that were of concern. Only two kitchens had lighting levels above 50 foot candles. For tasks such as cutting either by achine or knife, 90 to 100 foot candles are recoended. n ost cases, by switching to energy efficient bulbs and reflector technology light levels could be raised. For interior lighting, the restaurants used an average of 7,931 watts of light or 7.9 KWH per hour for an average of 16 hours of run tie. That is to say, on average, at cents per KWH average for Florida, it costs a restaurant over $10.00 a day to run the lights or over $3,600 per year. The biggest lighting user we audited was another high volue, lunchdinner facility that used a couple of hundred bulbs for decoration. The annual lighting cost for that facility was over $,200. On a watt per square foot basis, the restaurants averaged 1.55 watts per square foot. The least use was.44 watts per square foot. This establishent was far fro the ideal as they obviously did not have enough lighting available to address cleaning. The highest watts per square foot was a unit in a quick serve chain that had 4.40 watts per square foot. A facility was audited that had copact fluorescents in use in the dining area. While providing bright light levels, this facility only used 1.40 watts per square foot and the owner had not put energy efficient tubes in the kitchen area yet. When we asked hi what he thought of the copact fiuorescents, he w q enthusiastic as he had only needed to replace one bulb. He felt that alone ade the worthwhile. n Florida restaurants, the availability of air-conditioning is highly essential to business. n the restaurants audited, airconditioning systes were treendously oversized for the nuber of square feet in the buildings. This was done to ake up for such things as the lack of insulation in the building, large aounts of windows, nuber of door openings, huidity of the outside air, the heat and huidity of the internal load as cooking was being done and the people load. When airconditioning was exained, soe treendous opportunities for savings were found (Table 10). SBD C Suggest ions The SBDC audit gave detailed inforation for six categories of savings through no cost iproveents (Table 11). These savings included actions as siple as a positive action switching progra which was defined as turning off what wasn t needed. Heat strips for food waring were ore often on than off 11

14 Table 10. Estiated Air Conditioning Lost Efficiency and Factors for the Lost efficiency. Efficiency Lost and Associated Factors Average Per Restaur ant - Low Range High Air Conditioning - Estiated lost efficiency in dollars (due to infiltration and equipent inefficiencies) $5,313 $1,700 $23,000 Sources of infiltration losses included: Window Area (sq. ft) ,736 Missing Caulking (lin. ft.) ,600 when the audits were being done. Dining roo lights were on long before guests arrived or when no cleaning was taking place. Another very siple action was stocking refrigeration equipent properly. f the refrigeration equipent was organized so stocks could be easily located, it was seldo arranged with space between ites for cold air circulation, Table 11. Potential Annual BTU Savings Estiated - Through No Cost Energy proveents. Potential Saving Estiates No Cost proveents Average Per Restaurant - Low Range High Passive Shading 3,400, ,000,00,000 Positive Action Switching 1,600, ,000 5,00,000 Reduce Hot Water to Health Departent Minius 3,000, ,000 13,700,000 Balance Ventilation Syste 4,500,000 1,900 1,600,000 Stocking Refrigeration Properly 1,700, ,000 5,600,000 Clean and Adjust Gas Equipent 31,500,000 32,100,000 72,000,000 12

15 Savings fro hot water leaks and hot water dnps are quantified under "reduce hot water teperature to health departent inius." A nuber of drips at sink taps were found as well as hot water leaks in other areas. t was always recoended to the restaurant to fix drips and leaks. But, reducing water teperatures was seldo recoended. t was obvious that hot water was a necessity in any of these establishents for cleaning purposes. Adjustent of gas cooking equipent offered the greatest opportunity for no cost savings. The SBDC Auditor felt that as uch as a 25% reduction in fuel consuption could be achieved through aintenance. Orange flaes were predoinate. Several restaurateurs reported that they had just had a visit fro a service technician. What the SBDC Auditor soon put together was that when the technician works on the gas cook line, the vent fans and hoods are usually off or on low speed. Later when the restaurant is in full use and the vent fans are on full speed, the gas to air ratio that the technician fine tuned is inappropriate due to the change in air oveent around the burner. This resulted in wasted gas use and poor flae quality for cooking. The SBDC audit gave detailed inforation for five categories of savings through low cost iproveents (Table 12). Many of the restaurants we visited had window treatents or tinting and a few had theral pane windows. But it Table 12. Potential Annual BTU Savings Estiated - Through Low Cost Energy proveents. Estiated Saving Low Cost proveents. Window Tinting or nterior nsulation Clean and Repalr Ventilation Syste Repair Building caulking, seals, windows, doors, and ceilings Repair or install refrigeration seals and hot water pipe insulation Average Per Range Restaurant - Low HiJ& 3,100, ,000 11,600, , ,000 3,700,000 74,600,000 15,700,000 52,500, ,000, ,700, ,000 nstall energy saver light 49,400,000 2,300, ,900,000 bulbs 13

16 was surprising the nuber of establishents that had done little to address the Florida sun shining directly through the windows. The condition of the refrigeration equipent was generally poor. Most door seals were found to be in very poor condition. Soe door seals were so deteriorated they were hanging down and dragging on the floor. Savings for adding hot water pipe insulation and fixing the seals and gaskets of the refrigeration equipent were estiated at $3,055 per restaurant. Within the savings projected under "repair building caulking seals, windows, doors, and ceiling," was the issue of ceiling tiles. When one begins to observe the condition of restaurant ceilings, the opportunities for energy savings are readily apparent. The usual scenario observed was that the ceiling in the kitchen had a tile or several reoved to accoplish repair work that was copleted long ago or was in poor condition fro handling, water daage, or installed poorly. Because hot air rises, the heat and stea fro the kitchen goes up, and when tiles are open, into the ceiling area. Because air oves fro hot to cold, this war air above the kitchen seeks the cooler area above the dining roo. Because the hot air is still seeking a cooler area, it begins to infiltrate through all available cracks in the dining roo ceiling to the cooler dining roo. Dining roo ceilings were: poorly fit around can lighting fixtures, tiles were bowed fro high huidity levels no longer providing a tight fit to the tracks, and water daage had rendered insulation value of the tiles useless. Around one dining roo can fixture that was turned off, the radiant teperature was 96 degrees while the roo teperature was recorded at 79 degrees. This teperature reading was taken before the heat of the day and before kitchen activity was at its height. Another interesting issue was the heat and huidity that traveled fro the kitchen to the dining roo through the service doorways. The higher the door opening the greater the heat oveent. Radiant teperature above the doorway on the dining roo side of one doorway was easured at 109 degrees. n one facility, the proble was serious. t was difficult to hold teperatures and huidity down. At the tie of the audit the huidity was recorded at 77% with a dining roo teperature of 72 degrees. Water was dripping fro one of the airconditioning vents. This had been the situation for soe tie. To address this, a barrier between the kitchen and dining roo was suggested that would in effect lower the doorway opening. n a subsequent visit to this restaurant, the barrier had been installed. The purpose of this visit was to easure huidity and teperature of the restaurants under huid, suer conditions with the kitchen in full service. This particular evening, the teperature outside was 6 degrees with an outside huidity of 65%, the inside teperature was 74 degrees with an inside huidity of 69%, and water no longer dripped fro the vents. The anager of this facility was quite pleased with the iproveent. Eployee Habits Eployee habits and practices during the audits showed little regard for energy considerations and hence the profitable operation of the facility. The types of inefficient practices observed included: 14

17 Heat strips for food holding were on when there was no prepared food waiting or even a diner in the res taurant. Gas cooking equipent on for long periods with no eals being prepared. Pots with water boiling so rapidly it was splashing out. Pots with water boiling and no lid. 20 quart pots with the yellow gas flae so high up the sides that it alost reached the top of the pot. Hot water taps left running. Walk-in doors that were propped open for 20 inutes or ore at a tie during deliveries. A walk-in that was apparently used by eployees to cool off. Within a 20 inute period 5 trips were ade in and out of the walk-in with no one carrying anything in or bringing anything out. Walk-in doors that weren t closed all the way. One reained ajar the entire tie it took to do the audit. n one kitchen, 6 refrigeration units had doors ajar. While soe restaurants had vestibules, the doors were often propped open. Dining roo lights on prior to opening or any clean-up activity. The back doors of restaurants standing open for ventilation while air conditioning was in operation. Back kitchen doors propped open during deliveries. Conclusions The one yard stick we had to copare this saple to the national situation was BTUs per square foot. The National Restaurant Association reports that the annual BTUs used per square foot nationwide is 550,000 BTUs. The 46 restaurants in our study averaged 512,56 BTUs per square foot. t is felt that the opportunities for energy savings in restaurants are significant. As quantified in these audits, with efforts such as proper aintenance and no cost or low cost ipleentations, an energy savings up to 25% can be realized. With retrofits, eployee training, and serious energy anageent, uch greater savings could be achieved. Within the 46 restaurants audited, any had savings opportunities that could reach nearly 50% of energy costs. What akes this so significant is that according to Gil Friend (1991) at a presentation at the National Restaurant Show, energy costs in a restaurant typically represent 3% of pre-tax profits. The ipact of a 20% decrease in energy consuption is equal to a 7.6% increase in pre-tax profits. One of the essential questions to be answered is how the war, huid Florida weather sets Florida restaurants or the energy use within those restaurants apart fro the national situation. The year these audits were copleted the airconditioning systes in these restaurants had operated well over 365 days straight. Soe shut down air-conditioning only if the restaurant was closed for Thanksgiving or Christas. We had a very war winter. While there ay have been other coercial businesses 15

18 that did not need air-conditioning for the entire year, the high internal heat and huidity load in a restaurant akes airconditioning for cofort a necessity to doing business. n addition, the energy use within the Florida restaurant ay be proportioned differently than national figures for energy dollars. The national picture of energy use shows food preparation as 35% of the load and HVAC as 2% of the total energy load (see figure 1). Evidence is pointing to HVAC being a larger portion of the energy load within Florida restaurants (with the assuption that refrigeration is close behind). A Florida Power Corporation Study of a ajor fast food restaurant showed airconditioning was 49% of the electrical energy use load. The Energy Extension Service is beginning a project which will be able to look at this sae issue. Together air-conditioning and refrigeration efficiency losses represented a $34,000 loss for just these 46 restaurants. This situation is agnified by the radiant heat on the roof fro the intense Florida sun, The restaurants had no radiant barriers and little or no insulation other than ceiling tile -- and that was doing very little based on its condition. The area where all of this becoes of serious concern is when a restaurant chain headquartered in a far distant location, such as New York, designs the standard package building and ships plans off to Florida to be built. This was a regular occurrence with the units of the chains we audited. Prograing plications This study provided an excellent opportunity to evaluate the energy status of the targeted restaurants and to set forth recoendations for Extension prograing. The first area of concern is the level of interest for energy efficiency within the restaurant industry. f the ail survey response is an indication of interest, a otivational capaign is indicated. No one will adopt a new technology or practice if the advantage is not clearly known. Then the adopter needs the necessary inforation to ipleent the technology or practice. While we found any restaurateurs who needed the necessary inforation to ipleent, there is a far greater nuber who need the otivation. The work of this project has helped put into focus the types of energy conservation opportunities that restaurants are ore likely to address. The restaurant industry is intense. ndividual unit anagers are focused on custoers, food and eployee issues with the attitude that energy is the cost of doing business. When corporate edicts or incentives are handed down, attention to these issues can be generated for a tie and iproveents can be ade. But in this business attention to energy coes at the expense of soething else. Because energy efficiency can be achieved through such a large catalogue of opportunities, it is iportant to focus on practices or easures that fit into the style of this business. Low cost technical fixes are the restaurateurs approach of choice over eployee training. Each tie eployee training was discussed as an approach to 16

19 energy savings, the idea was et with a series of groans, but when tiers, annoyance buzzers and other fixes were entioned the acceptance level was higher. The restaurant professionals interviewed are looking for energy efficiency opportunities that are transparent to eployees and take as little eployee effort as possible. High tech fixes are also becoing ore available to the foodservice industry. For years, gas fuel has been the ost prevalent fuel for food preparation and water heating. The electric industry has realized this and recently there has been soe activity in looking at the advantages electric ay have over gas. With this activity has coe cooking devices like those using induction heating in fryers, cook tops and stove tops. These are still in developent and they will start out expensive, but they are technologies that are aking significant advances. n addition, the people anufacturing electric equipent are beginning to highlight soe of the control advantages that electric equipent can have over gas, particularly in the category of fryers. The 1990 s also will see changes in regulations related to sanitation, ventiiation, and refrigeration equipent. More options are available for water heating with heat reclai and heat recovery. Space conditioning is going in new directions with options available to address the severe huidity of the Florida res tauran t. While high tech solutions are not necessarily the capital investents restaurateurs are currently looking for, it is necessary to stay ahead of these developents. An increase in the price of energy will encourage activity in this area. Extension Education Opportunities t is recoended that the short-ter objectives for the Restaurant Progra focus attention on energy opportunities we identified in the audit portion of this project that will have advantageous efficiency ipacts and high probability of ipleentation. While there are any high tech opportunities becoing available for the restaurant industry, our data suggests uch can be achieved by fixing what is already there. Currently restaurateurs are ore likely to ipleent no cost or low cost iproveents over other ore expensive changes. The prograing areas and approaches that are being suggested are based on acceptability to the industry and being able to package the inforation in such a anner that the inforation can reach the restaurant decision-aker. Clean and Adjust Gas Equipent This is a siple essage to carry to restaurants. Gas consuption was a total of 5 billion BTUs in these 42 restaurants (4 had no gas hook-up). Fro exaination of equipent, the need to address straight aintenance issues especially the gas to air ix of the burners was obvious. Saving estiates in this category were up to 25 percent of consuption. Several restaurants reported that they had just had a visit fro a service technician. This pointed out two issues that need to be addressed. First, the ajority of restaurateurs have had no idea that the hottest, ost efficient flae for cooking is blue. f they would have known this, they would have realized that soon after the service technician left, they were cooking with orange flaes again. Second, the observations ade in these audits need to be discussed with service technicians to understand if they are calibrating the gas- 17

20 to-air ratios while ventilation equipent is not running at full speed. f the ventilation equipent is not running at full speed, there is a need to address soe calibration issues with repair technicians. f it is deterined that calibration is a proble, then it should be further explored to deterine how wide-spread the proble is and the ipact on fuel consuption. To disseinate inforation on gas aintenance, we would likely find several cooperators, including the gas utilities within the State of Florida. Lighting Opportunities Nationally, lighting is only 13% of total energy use within the restaurant environent. However, lighting can aount to worthwhile energy savings. Lighting changeout suggestions were at first et with resistance as they were viewed as expensive or unlikely to be accepted by corporate. t is y belief that this is an unfailiar area that a restaurant anager is reluctant to tackle because of a lack of inforation. Lighting in the restaurant is critical to abience, and in any restaurants abience is viewed as crucial to business. Deonstration projects such as the Wendy s effort showing energy saving lighting in use is the type of inforation a restaurateur needs before relaping will take place. Air-conditioning Equipent and Maintenance ssues There is probably nothing ore critical to a restaurant operation in the state of Florida than a cofortable restaurant. f the facility is hot, selly, dap or generally unpleasant, custoers will probably not reain to experience the abience, food quality or friendly eployees (all priority issues according to anagers). Yet air-conditioning is generally ignored until it breaks down. When air-conditioning equipent is not aintained, there is a cost in ters of increased energy costs to operate the syste. Clogged filters can cost an additional 10% in energy to operate an air conditioning syste. Dirty, clogged condensers can use as uch as 30% additional energy. n addition, each of these probles cause decreased equipent life. Copressors and fans not only require ore energy to operate, but the life of these parts can be drastically shortened. To repair these parts, costs go fro hundreds of dollars for fans, to thousands of dollars for copressors. While any restaurants had standing aintenance contracts, the service was not perfored as proised or the contracts were not negotiated properly up front to ensure that the air-conditioning units would run without breakdown. Why would this occur? Managers and people responsible for paying the bills can t take the tie for a follow-up check of work perfored and/or are not knowledgeable in discussing air-conditioning issues with the repairan. Preventative aintenance keeps the air-conditioner running. Restaurateurs need to be aware of what needs to be done and why. They need to learn how to tell if the work was copleted and done properly. Restaurants have special air conditioning aintenance needs. People in charge need to be aware of these needs and be prepared to take an active role in the aintenance of this equipent. To address this issue, a video tape script has been written to target 1

21 restaurant anagers and is waiting for production approval. n addition to inforation for anagers, seinars for air-conditioning repair/aintenance echanics ight prove very worthwhile. Because electricity for air conditioning ay account for nearly 50 percent of a Florida restaurant's electric consuption, it is very iportant to explore new technologies that address this situation. There are three technologies (heat pipes, desiccant systes, and sub-cooling technologies) that are well suited to this industry with its high internal heat and huidity loads. Because the Restaurant Progra has established excellent organizational linkages to both the restaurant industry and the anufacturers of new technologies, we are well positioned to lead this work. Refrigeration Maintenance Refrigeration issues ay have been the ost surprising educational need and energy saving opportunity observed in the restaurants. The total dollar savings for attention to refrigeration and hot water line insulation was quantified at over $140,000 for these 46 restaurants. Considering that restaurants have a nuber of refrigeration devices, educational efforts in the area of refrigeration could have considerable ipact. This refrigeration essage is a rather direct essage to convey to restaurateurs- -keep the door shut and when it is shut be certain hot air cannot infiltrate through openings. While keeping the door shut sounds siple, in discussions with restaurateurs it was seen as a very difficult thing to achieve. t sees whenever ore than one "trip or reach" is required to accoplish a particular task, the refrigerator door reains open. t does not see to atter that the task ay take five to ten inutes. Managers resist harping on eployees to close the door and eployees dislike vinyl strip curtains. Annoyance buzzers were installed in a project with Wendy's and the door is being closed ore frequently. McDonald's ade a reputation for excellent french fries with annoyance buzzers on fryers to "reind9 eployees to lift the fries. The door seals around door openings were in very poor condition. When restaurateurs were polled as to why they hadn't replaced door seals the answers varied. A coon answer was that they didn't think about it and thought the refrigeration repair an would tell the. Also repair people had told restaurateurs the units were too old and seals were not available. To address this issue, sources of custo ade seals were located. These seal prices were fairly equivalent to seals for doestic refrigeration equipent. Restaurateurs need to know that doors aren't the only part of the walk-in that needs attention. n any units the gaskets between the panels had becoe ineffective or the sall plastic covers for the hole that was used to connect the panels had disappeared. These are easy things to fur. Holes had been cut through walk-in walls to carry lines fro beer kegs to serving areas. The holes had not been plugged with insulation. On a couple of occasions walk-ins were observed with daage to the panels that effected the insulative properties. This was usually fro water daage. An iediate need is to produce a fact sheet with inforation on tightening up refrigeration units and the payback that 19

22 can be effected. n addition, a very short video on refrigeration aintenance siilar to the one scripted for air conditioning aintenance would be iportant for restaurant anagers to understand what refrigeration is costing the. Eployee Training ssues Training eployees to do ore than the iniu required for food preparation and presentation was viewed as a nearly ipossible task by restaurant anagers. The issues that were brought up were: tie available to do the training, an unwillingness to pay eployees for this tie, eployee turnover, and lack of eployee interest in energy saving inforation. Yet there are solutions to the obstacles of eployee training. t is suggested eployee training focus on culinary students, whether they are in vocational high schools, junior colleges, technical schools or four year progras. believe that young adults are not aware of energy inforation and when presented in a fraework they can relate to, they are extreely receptive. Turnover is a significant proble for this industry. But uch of the turnover is an eployee working at one restaurant and then another. f one leaves the industry it usually is after tenure at ore than one restaurant. n addition, restaurateurs are reluctant to provide tie for eployees to undergo conservation training even though it ay offer the single ost ipact of anything they can do in their operation. Because these are significant hurdles and the issue is critical to conservation efforts, it is suggested that the broader view of training be taken for the future eployees and decision-akers of the food service industry. Probably one of the ost enlightening experiences of this project to date was work with an eployee group of an upscale restaurant that eployed college students. These eployees were between 19 and 25 years old. We discussed energy issues and the environental ipact of using energy. Afterwards, several cae up to e individually and said how they had never heard that type of inforation and they wanted to be certain they were included in future eetings. They indicated their concern for environental issues and said they felt they knew soething about waste and water issues but had no idea about the ipact of energy on the environent. But yet in energy discussions with anagers, there was sort of an "'ve heard all this before" attitude. These anagers were in the over 35 age group. n all of this, it becae apparent that those who ake the decisions about eployee training issues were in their 20's when energy was an issue in the 1970's. They would have learned about energy and conservation tactics uch as today's young adults are learning about solid waste and water issues. So in essence, they had heard at least soe of this before. What any energy professionals have failed to realize is there is a group of future decision akers that have not lived through an oil crises and are apparently not knowledgeable in the ipacts of these issues. Traditionally the appeals for energy efficiency ipleentations have been based on dollars saved. With anagers, owners, and corporate executives, this is still a very effective approach. But, in working with the restaurant eployee age 20