You Can Save HOW Much by Switching to ENERGY STAR® Certified Equipment?

There’s a lot of talk about how much money energy-efficient equipment can save today’s foodservice operations. However, when time and bottom lines are equally tight, it can be hard to justify the expense of upgrading from older to newer equipment.  If you’re an owner or manager on the fence regarding whether a switch makes sense for your operation, you’re probably looking for more than just talk. Read on for a breakdown of three different scenarios which back up the buzz about the benefits of outfitting your commercial kitchen with Vulcan ENERGY STAR® certified restaurant equipment.

Today’s fine dining clientele has high expectations and discerning palates. Steam cooking delivers across several measures, including nutrition retention, taste and appearance. Unfortunately, standard steamer models fall short when it comes to everything from water consumption to heat loss.

Enter the Vulcan LWE Steamer.  According to figures from the EPA’s ENERGY STAR® program, Vulcan’s LWE ENERGY STAR® certified steamer reduces energy usage by 50% compared to traditional models. On top of that, it uses 90% less water. The total potential lifetime savings for an ENERGY STAR® certified steam cooker like the LWE Steamer? $12,000, along with incentives ranging from $20 to $3,200.

French fries are so popular that they have an entire day, July 13th, dedicated in their honor. No one knows this better than diner operators, whose hungry customers consume more than 4.2 million tons of these crispy, golden-brown snacks every year. But French fries are just one of the many reasons why restaurant fryers are one of the busiest pieces of equipment in any commercial kitchen. From chicken fingers to tortilla chips, there are near-endless foods fit for deep frying.

Diner owners looking to enjoy serious savings while simultaneously doing their part for the environment will find both in the Vulcan PowerFry5™ Fryer. Thanks to continuous production and improved thermostat accuracy, ENERGY STAR® certified large vat electric and commercial fryers are up to 35 percent more energy efficient than non-certified models.

Just how much does this energy efficiency translate to in dollars and cents? Up to $5,400 over the lifetime of this much-used piece of commercial kitchen equipment. And, of course, it’s not just diners which stand to gain. Fast food and full-service restaurants, institutional kitchens, grocery and retail operations and other high-volume establishments are also ripe for savings.

Whether you’re slinging pizza pies or tending to another type of food preparation, industrial convection ovens aren’t known as the “workhorses of the commercial kitchen” for nothing. And while every type of ENERGY STAR® certified equipment promises energy savings, the VC5G takes top honors with 56 percent cooking efficiency rates — the highest of all ENERGY STAR® ratings in the full-size gas convection oven category. All in all, switching to an ENERGY STAR® certified convection oven can save you up to $2,500 over its lifetime plus up to $5,000 in incentives.

And these are just three examples of how VULCAN ENERGY STAR® certified equipment is already helping foodservice operations just like yours maximize efficiency and profits. From griddles (up to $1,300 in lifetime energy savings and $1,500 in incentives) to hot food holding cabinets (up to $3,000 in lifetime energy savings and $800 in incentives), the opportunities for budget-minded foodservice options continue to accrue with Vulcan’s ENERGY STAR® certified products.

Sources:

Energy Star Commercial Fryers
Energy Star Fact Savings Sheet
Energy Star Incentives
National French Fry Day
American's Food Consumption