A Profile of Energy Use in Restaurants (Tampa Bay Area)

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Report to the Florida Energy Off ice

Submitted by Karen C. Miller

Energy Extension Service I FAS

University of Florida January 1 , 1992

Acknowledgements

This project was conducted by the Energy Extension Service, University of Florida through the IFAS Cooperative Extension Service. Funding was provided by the Florida Energy Office for educational programming as well as this needs assessment of the Florida restaurant industry.

The Energy Extension Service would like to thank the Florida Energy Office, particularly Mr. John Stark and Mr. Edward Cobham, for their interest in this important group of Florida energy users,

I would like to express special appreciation to Alexander Othmer, auditor for Small Business Development 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 monitoring and measuring apparatus, we would have never been able to quantify the types of information that are presented in this report.

In addition, I would like t o thank:

Mr. Robert Nelson of the Florida Restaurant Association for support in our survey efforts by supplying restaurateur names and addresses, and overall interest in this program.

Mr. Harold Schultz of Tampa Electric Company for his expertise, referrals, and information on the local utility as well as providing electric billing histones for the restaurants participating in this study.

Ms. Barbara Salemi of Peoples Gas Company for supplying gas billing histories for the restaurants participating in this study.

Mr. Jack Johnson of Tampa Foods, Ltd. (Wendy's), for his expertise in restaurant maintenance issue 9.

And Mr. Roy Johannesen, Florida Power Cofporation, f imerly of the E n e r a Extension Service, for his technical expertise on HVAC and refrigeration systems.

A Profile of Restaurant Energy Use - Conducted in Hillsborough County, Florida -

Situation

Restaurants are the most energy intensive commercial space in America. Nationally, restaurants are reported to use 550,000 BTUs per square foot annually. This is compared 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 million restaurant seats in Florida. These establishments 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), immediate past President of the National Restaurant Association, reported national predictions for 200,000 more 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 primarily in food preparation and HVAC (heating, ventilation and air-conditioning) as seen in Figure 1.

Food and Beverage Energy Use

Sanitation 17.8% reparation 34.8%

HVAC 28%

'Based on 1989 data Source: National Restaurant Association, Restaurant fndustry Operations Report '90

Figure 1. Energy Use within Restaurants.

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Objectives

This project was established to assist Florida's most energy intensive commercial business with energy efficiency information.

The objectives addressed in this paper were:

Conduct a survey of the restaurant industry in the target area to determine area need and to build a base for developing training programs and necessary materials.

= Contact the local utilities and enlist their voluntary support in performing walk-through audits of local restaurant establishments. In 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 economic impact of retrofits.

= Develop an industry profile to aid in the development of an economic basis for energy conservation. This shall be used to provide the necessary economic data to justify the retrofits and other conservation measures to enhance the restaurateur's profit margin.

= Provide benchmark energy consumption data to the restaurants in the target area, 'Phis shall be accomplished in a manner similar to that established in the hotel industry. In that industry, the method used was to compare energy consumption based on the capacity of the building, type of building, type of air conditioning system installed, and the monthly utility cost for that particular building.

We are trying to pinpoint how energy is used within Florida restaurants by collecting data from various sources. All are detailing the picture of restaurant energy use. In addition, these efforts have served to make the industry aware of our program, build cooperators, and provide assistance to our target population.

Site of the Project

Hillsborough County was chosen for the site of this project. It is now part of the largest metropolitan market area in the state. This defined area includes Hillsborough, Pinellas, Hernando, and Pasco Counties. In Hillsborough County alone, there are 2,037 food service licenses and 1,269 restaurants. Locally we feel there are 800 restaurants that would be excellent targets for this program and about 8,000 statewide. A target restaurant was defined as being opened year round, over 30 seats and excluded employee cafeterias, ice cream and donut locations, and sport concessions.

The Strategies

A three phase approach is being used to study restaurant energy use - - mail 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 determine 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,

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to measure the extent of implementation of efficiency technologies in the restaurant industry,

t o determine demographic characteristics of the restaurants,

t o determine if restaurateurs had energy audits in the past o r would want one if offered, and

to obtain permission to receive utility data for the 12 previous months to determine the amounts of energy used by the restaurants in our target area.

In order to determine conservation practices and technologies most commonly recommended within the industry, an extensive literature search was undertaken. Sources of information were included from project cooperators such as the Florida Restaurant Association, Tampa Electric Company, Peoples Gas Company as well as various State Energy Office projects.

The energy conservation practices and efficiency technologies identified from the various sources were compiled in a database. Nearly 270 distinct conservation opportunities for the restaurant industry were identified. Experts from the utility, construction, mechanical engineering and restaurant maintenance industries examined 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 make a difference and the range of items used would exemplify varying levels of commitment 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.

Remove 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 flames for color - - yellow is wasteful, blue is efficient.

Shut off sections of the restaurant when not in use and change temperature settings and turn off the lights in these sections.

The eficiency technologies were:

Include proper procedures on energy efficiencies in employee training programs.

Awnings or exterior shading such as natural shrubbery.

Interior shading such as blinds or other window treatments.

Timers 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.

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The questionnaire was constructed and reevaluated by the panel as well as an expert in survey instrument construction. The survey was mailed to a randomly selected sample of 570 of the 800 primary target restaurateurs in the Hillsborough County population of restaurants. In November of 1990, the surveys were sent to restaurateurs, addressed individually with a letter explaining the project, and the importance of their participation. A follow-up post card reminder was sent after three weeks.

Mail Survey Results

Of 570 questionnaires mailed, 89 responses were received and 47 were returned by the post office as no forwarding address. Responses on energy

conservation practices (Table 11, indicated the majority of people responding to the survey reported they "always" or "sometimes" did the conservation practices we asked about. The most attention was given to hoods and oven loading and the least to checking flame quality. In visiting nearly half of these restaurants during follow-up audits, very few of these practices were observed.

Within the energy efficiency technologies (Table 21, more variation was seen in the responses. But, it seems that some 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.

Always Practices

Turn off ventilation hoods when not in use. 63

Load and unload ovens rapidly. 45

Match pots to burner size. Use tight fitting lids. 30

Remove excess water and or ice crystal build-up before frying. 42

Load griddles and grills to capacity and turn off sections when not in use. 39

Check gas cooking flames for color. Yellow is wasteful, blue is efficient. 33

Shut off sections of the restaurant

settings and turn off the lights. when not in use. Change temperature 47

Sometime

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28

33

16

24

30

16

Never

5

0

7

8

6

10

9

Does Not No Apply Response

10 2

14 3

18 2

22 2

20 1

15 2

15 3

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Table 2. Energy Efficiency Technologies Available in Restaurants in Hillsborough County.

Eneray Eficient Technoloa

Employee training program includes information on procedures tu save energy.

Shading Devices

Have Do not Don't No Have Know Response

42 4 1 0 7

Awnings or Exterior Shading such as natural shrubbery 58 28 0 4

Interior Shading such as blinds or other window treatments 69 16 1 4

Timers or sensors on outdoor lighting to prevent lighting in daylight hours.

Fluorescent or lower wattage energy efficient lights such as PL lighting.

67 24 4 5

73 9 4 4

Heat recovery units that use waste heat for water heating. 14 6 1 10 5

the 89 restaurants reported a wide variety of additional strategies (Table 3).

population may not be sensitive to energy conservation in a restaurant. This may indicate that first we have to create an awareness of energy use and efficiency opportunities to build interest before teaching can be effective.

While the responses showed very strong compliance with conservation strategies, we know only those who care the most return surveys on conservation issues. In other words, 85% of the target

Table 3. Conservation Strategies in Use as Reported as Free Form Response by Restaurateurs.

Cold Water Rinse for Dishes Conservative Attitude Solar Water Heaters Cycling Oven Temp Control Energy Management System Equipment Start-up Schedules Extra Insulation Vestibule Ceiling Fans* Walk-in Curtains Indoor Sensors Warm Clothing Light Dimmers Water Conservation Preventative Maintenance Contracts Water Heater Timer Programmable Thermostats Wood Burning Stoves

Recycle Glass and Fryer Oil

Temperature Thermostats Timers on Light Switches Use Gas Instead of Electric

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*While fans were only mentioned twice on the survey, nearly one-third of the restaurants surveyed had them.

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The "request for audit" question was compared t o those who had reported implementing additional strategies. Of those who reported additional strategies had been implemented, only 18% requested a follow-up audit compared to nearly 50% of the rest of the sample. Could this lead us to believe that if one had gone so far as to implement conservation measures, one may feel their part was done or there was nothing else to do?

Utility Bill Study

As part of the mail survey many restaurants gave us permission to obtain one year billing histories from the gas and electric utility companies. Our intent was to develop a monthly 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 mail survey was not valid. Very few restaurant managers could report the size of their facility. In addition, as energy use by month was analyzed, inconsistencies have been found in the normalization of the data.

In the future we will propose to go back and work with this data again as well as measure these facilities. This will allow us to develop an energy use per square foot index adjusted for weather by month.

Audits

The original plan to conduct audits through utility companies became

energy use and savings opportunities. An independent organization, the Small Business Development Center (SBDC) and its Energy Auditor was used to conduct the audits. Because this program, funded by the Florida Energy Office, has small businesses as a prime target, restaurants are considered an important 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 compilation of data collected.

The SBDC Auditor was completely responsible for the content and validity of the data. The EES Agent was primarily responsible for obtaining restaurants to audit, observation of employee habits, follow-up education with the development of implementation strategies, and the compilation of the data.

Restaurant Characteristics

Forty-six restaurants were audited by the SBDC Auditor with the EES Agent assisting. The initial requests for audits came through a question on the mail survey. After a period of time, some requests for audits were made directly to

Table 4. Profile of the Restaurants Surveyed in Hillsborough County.

Number of Restaurants Completed 46

Number of Square Feet Evaluated 234,940

complicated by gas and electric both being a part of operations. When it was decided

Total Energy Dollars Spent 1.6 million

to use the audits as an information gathering tool, it was necessary to use an audit process that would not be subject to fuel bias issues and to quantify both

Number of BTUs Consumed by these Restaurants 120 million

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survey. After a period of time, some requests for audits were made directly to the Energy Extension program and these were included in the analysis of the data.

The restaurants audited included over 234,940 square feet and over $1.6 million in utility bills. Combined, these establishments used over 120 billion BTUs annually in the operation of these restaurants (Table 4).

A cross section of restaurant types were audited. The vast majority 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 format (Table 7).

Table 5. Types of Restaurants &mfeyed in Hillsborough County .

2YLX Number in sample

Full Service 26 Quick Serve 4 Pizza 4 Pubs 4 Primarily Catering 2 Country Club 2

These data points were presented in the report that was given to each restaurant and were used in the accumulated information on the restaurants.

Table 6. Representative Restaurants Audited and Assessed for Energy Eficiency.

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Chili’s (C) Pizza Hotline (I) Ruby Tuesday (C) Skipper’s (I) TGI Friday’s (C> Sun Lin (I) Villanova (I) Proud Lion (I) Mel’s Hot Dogs (I) Romanos (I) Buddy Freddy’s (I) Porter & Sons (I) Palios Bros. (I) Wright Gourmet (I) Storch & Sons (I) Pebble Creek (I)

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8

8

8

8

8

8

8

8

8

8

8

8

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Wendy’s (F) BT Bones (I) Ho Ho Chinese Restaurant (I) Burger King (F) Outback Steakhouse (C) Crazy Wings (F) Bullfrog Creek Lounge (I) Spaghetti Warehouse (C) Manny’s (I) Rico’s Pizza (I) Lupton’s (I) Sizzler (F) Mexican Cafe Anita (I) McDonald‘s (F) Tampa Yacht Club (I) Red Lobster (C)

Ownership = (c) Corporate, (F) Franchise, (I) Individual I

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Table 7. Data Collected and Provided for Each Restaurant Through the SBDC Audit Report Format

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Number 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 Therms Gas usage in BTU Toxic emission equivalent Total estimated Dollar savings possible Total estimated BTU savings possible Total estimated Barrel of oil savings possible Monthly Bill savings Emissions reduction Operating hours Reduction possible-long term Controlled zones Optimum system size - no load Optimum 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 from building factors AC cost of operation with building load Estimated AC lost efficiency in Dollardyear Estimated AC lost efficiency in Dollardmonth Estimated AC lost efficiency in BTU Thermostat Calibration - % off Ambient temperature Humidity Total watts in use KWH used per year in lighting BTU used per year in lighting Estimated dollar saving/yr. with lighting placement and switching Estimated dollar saving/mo. with lighting placement and' switching Estimated BTU saving with lighting placement and switching Estimated lost efficiency in electric appliance load in dolladyr. Estimated lost efficiency in electric appliance load in dollardmo. Estimated lost efficiency in electric appliance load in BTU/yr. Estimated lost efficiency in gas appliance load in dollardyr. Estimated lost efficiency in gas appliance load in dollardyr. Estimated lost efficiency in gas appliance load in dollardyr.

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Voltage fluctuation % over +10 volts

% over +25 volts Estimated Reduction from Passive Shading of AC Unit and Windows in BTU/yr. Estimated Reduction from Positive Action Switching Program in BTU/yr. Estimated Reduction from Reduce Hot Water to 110 Deg. in BTU/yr. Estimated Reduction from Adjust and Balance Ventilation in BTU/yr. Estimated Reduction from Stock Refrigeration Units Properly in BTU/yr. Estimated Reduction from clean and Adjust All Gas Equipment in BTU/yr. Estimated Yearly Reduction in BTU from items suggested in no cost program Estimated Monthly Reduction from items suggested in no cost program in dollars Estimated Monthly Reduction from items suggested in no cost program in KWH Estimated Reduction from Tinting & Added Insulation on Inside Window in dollardyr. Estimated Reduction from Cleaning & Repairing Vent Systems in dollarslyr. Estimated Reduction from Repair Buildings Caulking & Seals, WindowdDoordCeilings etc. in dollardyr. Estimated Reduction from Repair or Install Hot Water Pipe Insulation & Refrigeration Seals in dollarsdyr. Estimated Reduction from Energy Saver Light Bulbs in dollardyr. Estimated Yearly Reduction in BTU from items suggested in low cost program Estimated Monthly Utility Bill Reduction from items suggested in low cost program in dollars Estimated Yearly Utility Bill Reduction from items suggested in low cost program in KWH Estimated Reduction from Air Curtains in doll ardyr . Estimated Reduction from Thermal Windows in dollardyr. Estimated Reduction from Energy Efficient Ballast Estimated Reduction from Energy Efficient Appliances and Motors in dollardyr. Estimated Yearly Reduction in BTU from items suggested in long term program Estimated Monthly Reduction from items suggested in long term program in dollars Estimated Monthly Reduction in KWH from items suggested in long term program

Energy Condition of the Restaurants

Various supplemental information was collected on the status of the restaurants at the time of the audit. The majority of audits were performed in the late winter or early spring before the Florida weather begins to create additional energy demands. Time of day also affected the status readings. The audits were conducted during slack periods -- in the morning before lunch preparations began o r in the afternoon before dinner preparation. This hampered getting status readings when the restaurant was being used fully. The time of the audits was selected by the restaurant manager.

Energy Use in the Restaurants

At the time of the audit, the area of the restaurants were measured. These facilities ranged from a 700 square foot take-out pizza to a 19,900 square foot yacht club (Table 8). 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 made to the management were for the entire facility .

The prior year’s average annual energy cost (gas and electric) for these facilities was $35,458 with a high of $86,700 and a low of $4,900. Electric use averaged 415,973 KWH annually with the high of 1,049,280 KWH and the low of 36,080 KWH. The gas use averaged 13,427 therms with a high of 38,089 therms and low of 0 (because some restaurants were all electric). The high user in all categories was a large, high volume, lunch-dinner chain (one of the poorest maintained of any restaurant audited). The low cost was the 700 square foot take-out pizza establishment using a very efficient radiant conveyor oven, little air-conditioning, fluorescent lighting, and no gas hook-ups.

Table 8. Energy Use in Audited Restaurants.

Low Audit Items Average -

Size of Restaurant (sq. R) 5,107 700

Electric Usage in KWH 415,973 36,080

Gas Usage in therms 13,427 none

Total Cost of Energy $35,458 $4,900

Total BTUs used 2,617,886,609 123,104,960

BTUs per sq.ft. (annually) 512,568 135,700

Range High

19,900

1,049,280

38,089

$86,700

7,389,053,360

1,126,881

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Probably the best basis of comparison of the restaurants used in this study was the annual BTUs per square foot. This had an enormous range from 1,126,881 BTUs to 135,700 BTUs. The most intense energy user by this index was an operation that suffered from poor building construction and poor maintenance. The third highest user per square foot was a unit of a large quick serve chain. It was the 85th built in a chain of over 6,000 restaurants. This older facility was in need of serious maintenance.

Comfort Factors

Various types of information related to guest comfort were recorded (Table 9). Data were collected on the temperature and humidity of the space, calibration of the thermostat, air balance of the ventilation system, and watts of lighting.

The temperatures in the restaurants, at time of audit, averaged 74 degrees. Most were using the air-conditioning even

if it was considerably before the first customer was expected. The low temperature recorded was 64 degrees and the high was 82 degrees.

The thermostat calibration was off by an average of 9% higher than our thermometer readings of ambient temperature. This means that if an employee goes to the thermostat and sees the temperature reads 80 degrees, the temperature may actually be 73 degrees. For employees who are quite warm from the activity of serving and preparing meals, it is easy to believe the temperature is 80. When that air- conditioner is then set lower, say to 74 degrees, the diner with a passive level of activity can become quite uncomfortable as the actual temperature begins to drop toward 68 degrees.

Humidity was also a significant factor in guest comfort. The target humidity for guest comfort is about 50%. The average relative humidity in the audited

Table 9. Status Information (observed conditions) Related to Comfort.

Range Low High Comfort Item Average -

Temperatures ' 74 64 82

Thermostat Calibrations* 9% 2% 20%

Humidity Ranges 59% 39% 77%

Air Balance Difference (cfm) 67 25 120

Watts of Light 7,931 1,055 17,855

Watts per sq. ft. 1.55 .44 4.40

*All Read Higher

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restaurants was 59% and this was at the best of times for Florida restaurants, in the winter to spring, when the restaurant was not fully operational. Only seven of the restaurants had humidity readings below 50% and in one of those it was achieved though an interior temperature of 64 degrees.

Air is moved in restaurants; but, it is moved unevenly leaving some guests feeling stuffy and others feeling a breeze. To determine the operational efficiencies of the ventilation system, the cfm at the output vents was measured. The differences measured were as great as 120 cfm within the same restaurant. Managers felt particularly enlightened when they began to understand why the guests in the corner complained.

Lighting is an integral part of the way a restaurant chooses to do business. Light levels for dining are related to atmosphere and ambience issues. It is the lighting levels in some 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 machine or knife, 90 to 100 foot candles are recommended. In most 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 time. That is to say, on average, at 8 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 volume, lunch- dinner facility that used a couple of hundred bulbs for decoration. The annual lighting cost for that facility was over $8,200.

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 establishment was far from 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 compact 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 him what he thought of the compact fiuorescents, he w q enthusiastic as he had only needed to replace one bulb. He felt that alone made them worthwhile.

In Florida restaurants, the availability of air-conditioning is highly essential to business. In the restaurants audited, air- conditioning systems were tremendously oversized for the number of square feet in the buildings. This was done to make up for such things as the lack of insulation in the building, large amounts of windows, number of door openings, humidity of the outside air, the heat and humidity of the internal load as cooking was being done and the people load. When air- conditioning was examined, some tremendous opportunities for savings were found (Table 10).

SBD C Suggest ions

The SBDC audit gave detailed information for six categories of savings through no cost improvements (Table 11). These savings included actions as simple as a positive action switching program which was defined as turning off what wasn’t needed. Heat strips for food warming were more often on than off

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Table 10. Estimated Air Conditioning Lost Efficiency and Factors for the Lost efficiency.

Efficiency Lost and Associated Factors

Air Conditioning - Estimated lost efficiency in dollars (due to infiltration and equipment inefficiencies)

Average Per Range Restaur ant - Low High

$5,313 $1,700 $23,000

Sources of infiltration losses included:

2,736 15 Window Area (sq. ft) 48 1

Missing Caulking (lin. ft.) 306 75 1,600

when the audits were being done. Dining room lights were on long before guests arrived or when no cleaning was taking place. Another very simple action was stocking refrigeration equipment properly. If the refrigeration equipment was

organized so stocks could be easily located, it was seldom arranged with space between items for cold air circulation,

Table 11. Potential Annual BTU Savings Estimated - Through No Cost Energy Improvements.

No Cost Improvements

Potential Saving Estimates

Average Per Range Low High Restaurant -

Passive Shading 3,400,000 200,000 8,800,000

Positive Action Switching 1,600,000 100,000 5,800,000

Reduce Hot Water to Health Department Minimums

3,000,000 200,000 13,700,000

Balance Ventilation System 4,500,000 1,900 18,600,000

Stocking Refrigeration Properly 1,700,000 100,000 5,600,000

Clean and Adjust Gas Equipment 318,500,000 32,100,000 782,000,000

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Savings from hot water leaks and hot water dnps are quantified under "reduce hot water temperature to health department minimums." A number of drips a t sink taps were found as well as hot water leaks in other areas. It was always recommended to the restaurant to fix drips and leaks. But, reducing water temperatures was seldom recommended. It was obvious that hot water was a necessity in many of these establishments for cleaning purposes.

Adjustment of gas cooking equipment offered the greatest opportunity for no cost savings. The SBDC Auditor felt that as much as a 25% reduction in fuel consumption could be achieved through maintenance. Orange flames were predominate. Several restaurateurs reported that they had just had a visit

from 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 movement around the burner. This resulted in wasted gas use and poor flame quality for cooking.

The SBDC audit gave detailed information for five categories of savings through low cost improvements (Table 12).

Many of the restaurants we visited had window treatments or tinting and a few had thermal pane windows. But it

Table 12. Potential Annual BTU Savings Estimated - Through Low Cost Energy Improvements.

Estimated Saving

Low Cost Improvements

. Window Tinting or Interior Insulation

Clean and Repalr Ventilation System

Repair Building caulking, seals, windows, doors, and ceilings

Repair or install refrigeration seals and hot water pipe insulation

Average Per Range Restaurant - Low HiJ&

3,100,000 400,000 11,600,000

900,000 100,000 3,700,000

74,600,000 15,700,000 52,500,000

341,000,000 129,700,000 163,000

Install energy saver light 49,400,000 2,300,000 116,900,000 bulbs

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was surprising the number of establishments that had done little to address the Florida sun shining directly through the windows.

The condition of the refrigeration equipment was generally poor. Most door seals were found to be in very poor condition. Some 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 equipment were estimated 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 removed to accomplish repair work that was completed long ago or was in poor condition from handling, water damage, or installed poorly. Because hot air rises, the heat and steam from the kitchen goes up, and when tiles are open, into the ceiling area. Because air moves from hot to cold, this warm air above the kitchen seeks the cooler area above the dining room. Because the hot air is still seeking a cooler area, i t begins to infiltrate through all available cracks in the dining room ceiling to the cooler dining room. Dining room ceilings were: poorly fit around can lighting fixtures, tiles were bowed from high humidity levels no longer providing a tight fit to the tracks, and water damage had rendered insulation value of the tiles useless. Around one dining room can fixture that was turned off, the radiant temperature was 96 degrees while the room

temperature was recorded at 79 degrees. This temperature reading was taken before the heat of the day and before kitchen activity was at its height.

Another interesting issue was the heat and humidity that traveled from the kitchen to the dining room through the service doorways. The higher the door opening the greater the heat movement. Radiant temperature above the doorway on the dining room side of one doorway was measured at 109 degrees. In one facility, the problem was serious. It was difficult to hold temperatures and humidity down. At the time of the audit the humidity was recorded at 77% with a dining room temperature of 72 degrees. Water was dripping from one of the air- conditioning vents. This had been the situation for some time. To address this, a barrier between the kitchen and dining room was suggested that would in effect lower the doorway opening. In a subsequent visit to this restaurant, the barrier had been installed. The purpose of this visit was to measure humidity and temperature of the restaurants under humid, summer conditions with the kitchen in full service. This particular evening, the temperature outside was 86 degrees with an outside humidity of 65%, the inside temperature was 74 degrees with an inside humidity of 69%, and water no longer dripped from the vents. The manager of this facility was quite pleased with the improvement.

Employee Habits

Employee 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:

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Heat strips for food holding were on when there was no prepared food waiting or even a diner in the res taurant.

Gas cooking equipment on for long periods with no meals 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 flame so high up the sides that it almost reached the top of the pot.

Hot water taps left running.

Walk-in doors that were propped open for 20 minutes or more at a time during deliveries.

A walk-in that was apparently used by employees to cool off. Within a 20 minute period 5 trips were made 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 remained ajar the entire time it took to do the audit. In one kitchen, 6 refrigeration units had doors ajar.

While some restaurants had vestibules, the doors were often propped open.

Dining room 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 compare this sample 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 512,568 BTUs per square foot.

It is felt that the opportunities for energy savings in restaurants are significant. As quantified in these audits, with efforts such as proper maintenance and no cost or low cost implementations, an energy savings up to 25% can be realized. With retrofits, employee training, and serious energy management, much greater savings could be achieved. Within the 46 restaurants audited, many had savings opportunities that could reach nearly 50% of energy costs. What makes 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 38% of pre-tax profits. The impact of a 20% decrease in energy consumption is equal to a 7.6% increase in pre-tax profits.

One of the essential questions to be answered is how the warm, humid Florida weather sets Florida restaurants or the energy use within those restaurants apart from the national situation. The year these audits were completed the air- conditioning systems in these restaurants had operated well over 365 days straight. Some shut down air-conditioning only if the restaurant was closed for Thanksgiving or Christmas. We had a very warm winter. While there may have been other commercial businesses

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that did not need air-conditioning for the entire year, the high internal heat and humidity load in a restaurant makes air- conditioning for comfort a necessity to doing business.

In addition, the energy use within the Florida restaurant may 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 28% 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 assumption that refrigeration is close behind).

A Florida Power Corporation Study of a major fast food restaurant showed air- conditioning was 49% of the electrical energy use load. The Energy Extension Service is beginning a project which will be able to look at this same issue. Together air-conditioning and refrigeration efficiency losses represented a $384,000 loss for just these 46 restaurants.

This situation is magnified by the radiant heat on the roof from 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 becomes 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.

Programming Implications

This study provided an excellent opportunity to evaluate the energy status of the targeted restaurants and to set forth recommendations for Extension programming.

The first area of concern is the level of interest for energy efficiency within the restaurant industry. If the mail survey response is an indication of interest, a motivational campaign is indicated. No one will adopt a new technology or practice if the advantage is not clearly known. Then the adopter needs the necessary information to implement the technology or practice. While we found many restaurateurs who needed the necessary information to implement, there is a far greater number who need the motivation.

The work of this project has helped put into focus the types of energy conservation opportunities that restaurants are more likely to address. The restaurant industry is intense. Individual unit managers are focused on customers, food and employee 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 time and improvements can be made. But in this business attention to energy comes at the expense of something else. Because energy efficiency can be achieved through such a large catalogue of opportunities, it is important to focus on practices or measures that fit into the style of this business.

Low cost technical fixes are the restaurateurs approach of choice over employee training. Each time employee training was discussed as an approach to

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energy savings, the idea was met with a series of groans, but when timers, annoyance buzzers and other fixes were mentioned the acceptance level was higher. The restaurant professionals interviewed are looking for energy efficiency opportunities that are transparent to employees and take as little employee effort as possible.

High tech fixes are also becoming more available to the foodservice industry. For years, gas fuel has been the most prevalent fuel for food preparation and water heating. The electric industry has realized this and recently there has been some activity in looking at the advantages electric may have over gas. With this activity has come cooking devices like those using induction heating in fryers, cook tops and stove tops. These are still in development and they will start out expensive, but they are technologies that are making significant advances. In addition, the people manufacturing electric equipment are beginning to highlight some of the control advantages that electric equipment 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 equipment. More options are available for water heating with heat reclaim and heat recovery. Space conditioning is going in new directions with options available to address the severe humidity of the Florida res tauran t.

While high tech solutions are not necessarily the capital investments restaurateurs are currently looking for, it is necessary to stay ahead of these developments. An increase in the price of energy will encourage activity in this area.

Extension Education Opportunities

It is recommended that the short-term objectives for the Restaurant Program focus attention on energy opportunities we identified in the audit portion of this project that will have advantageous efficiency impacts and high probability of implementation. While there are many high tech opportunities becoming available for the restaurant industry, our data suggests much can be achieved by fixing what is already there. Currently restaurateurs are more likely to implement no cost or low cost improvements over other more expensive changes. The programming areas and approaches that are being suggested are based on acceptability to the industry and being able to package the information in such a manner that the information can reach the restaurant decision-maker.

Clean and Adjust Gas Equipment

This is a simple message to carry to restaurants. Gas consumption was a total of 58 billion BTUs in these 42 restaurants (4 had no gas hook-up). From examination of equipment, the need to address straight maintenance issues especially the gas to air mix of the burners was obvious. Saving estimates in this category were up to 25 percent of consumption. Several restaurants reported that they had just had a visit from a service technician. This pointed out two issues that need to be addressed. First, the majority of restaurateurs have had no idea that the hottest, most efficient flame for cooking is blue. If they would have known this, they would have realized that soon after the service technician left, they were cooking with orange flames again. Second, the observations made in these audits need to be discussed with service technicians to understand if they are calibrating the gas-

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to-air ratios while ventilation equipment is not running at full speed. If the ventilation equipment is not running at full speed, there is a need to address some calibration issues with repair technicians. If it is determined that calibration is a problem, then it should be further explored to determine how wide-spread the problem is and the impact on fuel consumption.

To disseminate information on gas maintenance, 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 environment. However, lighting can amount to worthwhile energy savings. Lighting changeout suggestions were at first met with resistance as they were viewed as expensive or unlikely to be accepted by corporate. It is my belief that this is an unfamiliar area that a restaurant manager is reluctant to tackle because of a lack of information. Lighting in the restaurant is critical to ambience, and in many restaurants ambience is viewed as crucial to business. Demonstration projects such as the Wendy’s effort showing energy saving lighting in use is the type of information a restaurateur needs before relamping will take place.

Air-conditioning Equipment and Maintenance Issues

There is probably nothing more critical to a restaurant operation in the state of Florida than a comfortable restaurant. If the facility is hot, smelly, damp or generally unpleasant, customers will probably not remain to experience the

ambience, food quality or friendly employees (all priority issues according to managers). Yet air-conditioning is generally ignored until it breaks down.

When air-conditioning equipment is not maintained, there is a cost in terms of increased energy costs to operate the system. Clogged filters can cost an additional 10% in energy to operate an air conditioning system. Dirty, clogged condensers can use as much as 30% additional energy. In addition, each of these problems cause decreased equipment life. Compressors and fans not only require more energy to operate, but the life of these parts can be drastically shortened. To repair these parts, costs go from hundreds of dollars for fans, to thousands of dollars for compressors.

While many restaurants had standing maintenance contracts, the service was not performed as promised 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 time for a follow-up check of work performed and/or are not knowledgeable in discussing air-conditioning issues with the repairman.

Preventative maintenance 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 completed and done properly. Restaurants have special air conditioning maintenance needs. People in charge need to be aware of these needs and be prepared to take an active role in the maintenance of this equipment.

To address this issue, a video tape script has been written to target

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restaurant managers and is waiting for production approval. In addition to information for managers, seminars for air-conditioning repair/maintenance mechanics might prove very worthwhile.

Because electricity for air conditioning may account for nearly 50 percent of a Florida restaurant's electric consumption, it is very important to explore new technologies that address this situation. There are three technologies (heat pipes, desiccant systems, and sub-cooling technologies) that are well suited to this industry with its high internal heat and humidity loads. Because the Restaurant Program has established excellent organizational linkages to both the restaurant industry and the manufacturers of new technologies, we are well positioned to lead this work.

Refrigeration Maintenance

Refrigeration issues may have been the most 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 number of refrigeration devices, educational efforts in the area of refrigeration could have considerable impact.

This refrigeration message is a rather direct message 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 simple, in discussions with restaurateurs it was seen as a very difficult thing to achieve. It seems whenever more than

one "trip or reach" is required to accomplish a particular task, the refrigerator door remains open. It does not seem to matter that the task may take five to ten minutes. Managers resist harping on employees to close the door and employees dislike vinyl strip curtains. Annoyance buzzers were installed in a project with Wendy's and the door is being closed more frequently. McDonald's made a reputation for excellent french fries with annoyance buzzers on fryers to "remind9 employees 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 common answer was that they didn't think about it and thought the refrigeration repair man would tell them. Also repair people had told restaurateurs the units were too old and seals were not available. To address this issue, sources of custom made seals were located. These seal prices were fairly equivalent to seals for domestic refrigeration equipment.

Restaurateurs need to know that doors aren't the only part of the walk-in that needs attention. In many units the gaskets between the panels had become ineffective or the small 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 from beer kegs to serving areas. The holes had not been plugged with insulation. On a couple of occasions walk-ins were observed with damage to the panels that effected the insulative properties. This was usually from water damage.

An immediate need is to produce a fact sheet with information on tightening up refrigeration units and the payback that

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can be effected. In addition, a very short video on refrigeration maintenance similar to the one scripted for air conditioning maintenance would be important for restaurant managers to understand what refrigeration is costing them.

Employee Training Issues

Training employees to do more than the minimum required for food preparation and presentation was viewed as a nearly impossible task by restaurant managers. The issues that were brought up were: time available to do the training, an unwillingness to pay employees for this time, employee turnover, and lack of employee interest in energy saving information. Yet there are solutions to the obstacles of employee training.

It is suggested employee training focus on culinary students, whether they are in vocational high schools, junior colleges, technical schools or four year programs. I believe that young adults are not aware of energy information and when presented in a framework they can relate to, they are extremely receptive.

Turnover is a significant problem for this industry. But much of the turnover is an employee working at one restaurant and then another. If one leaves the industry it usually is after tenure at more than one restaurant. In addition, restaurateurs are reluctant to provide time for employees to undergo conservation training even though it may offer the single most impact 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 employees

and decision-makers of the food service industry.

Probably one of the most enlightening experiences of this project to date was work with an employee group of an upscale restaurant that employed college students. These employees were between 19 and 25 years old. We discussed energy issues and the environmental impact of using energy. Afterwards, several came up to me individually and said how they had never heard that type of information and they wanted to be certain they were included in future meetings. They indicated their concern for environmental issues and said they felt they knew something about waste and water issues but had no idea about the impact of energy on the environment. But yet in energy discussions with managers, there was sort of an "I've heard all this before" attitude. These managers were in the over 35 age group.

In all of this, it became apparent that those who make the decisions about employee 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 much as today's young adults are learning about solid waste and water issues. So in essence, they had heard at least some of this before. What many energy professionals have failed to realize is there is a group of future decision makers that have not lived through an oil crises and are apparently not knowledgeable in the impacts of these issues.

Traditionally the appeals for energy efficiency implementations have been based on dollars saved. With managers, owners, and corporate executives, this is still a very effective approach. But, in working with the restaurant employee age

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cohort, it seems that it may be time to explore making the externalaties of energy use a primary appeal for conservation efforts. I found employees put concern for the environment before the employers bottomline.

For students in high school vocational programs, Extension has an excellent existing vehicle to reach these students, 4-H. A series of 5 lessons for students on equipment operation and energy saving considerations is suggested to address this issue. These lessons could be distributed t o teachers of vocational food service with the offer of teacher training if desired.

For students of junior college o r 4 year hospitality programs, it is suggested that discussions with the teachers and providing some classroom lectures would be the place to get acquainted with this audience. From that point, additional methods t o further the reach to that audience can be explored.

Working with the Professionals

This project has provided EES with data, expertise, and credibility in the restaurant industry. In order to extend the reach of our efforts, it is suggested that EES be involved in training other professionals who work with this industry.

The SBDC program provides an excellent opportunity for one on one teaching. The EES program can offer excellent support to SBDC Auditors through materials developed for restaurateurs and continuing to update auditors on developments in the industry. Restaurants are the most prevalent small business in Florida, and EES can serve an important role in the support and encouragement of their work.

In addition to the SBDC program, utility companies provide walk through audits for restaurants. The EES restaurant program has already made a presentation to the Tampa Electric commercial auditors. It was well received and it was felt this work would be beneficial to other utilities across the state.

In working with various professionals who perform energy audits, the areas where energy savings can be effected in restaurants would be the primary topic. But it is also suggested that the use of instrumentation as a teaching tool be addressed. In using various pieces of equipment to make these assessments of the energy condition, it became evident that these instruments were providing a way for the restaurateur to "see" energy. For example, restaurateurs were fascinated to see the readout on the radiant device for spot temperature drop as it was used around a refrigerator door seal when a spot was located that wasn't sealing properly. Using instrumentation to help the restaurateur understand air flow and using a device to measure the output temperature of vents helped explain issues of customer comfort, potential air-conditioning problems, and ventilation problems. It is my recommendation that as much of this equipment as possible be available to individuals doing energy instructiodinfonnation providing. This includes professionals from a variety of organizations, including EES, SBDC, utility companies, and even some restaurant chain operations that provide their own maintenance.

In addition to working with professionals serving the restaurant industry through audits, it is felt the EES program is well equipped to work with

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restaurant chains. This target audience can produce high impact. Individual conservation recommendations for units of restaurant chains are similar to those of any restaurant. But the person at the level of authority where conservation decisions are made has the capacity to effect the same decision for numerous units within the chain. The EES program has the flexibility to work with chains at the many levels of authority and geographic locations. EES success has been excellent with the chains.

Summary

Through this project, 570 restaurants were surveyed by mail and 46 others were audited on over 84 energy related data points. A number of lessons have been learned from this sample of restaurants and a number of programming implications have been drawn.

Lessons Learned

Need and opportunity for energy efficiency must be established with the restaurant industry.

= Energy efficiency opportunities are high in restaurants with an estimated 25 to 50 percent savings being possible. Employees working in restaurants are young (18 to 25) and that age cohort is not familiar with conservation information.

restaurants are not made at the unit level but at upper levels. To establish credibility with single unit restaurants, experience with name restaurants (such as chains) is important.

Conservation decisions in chain

Programming Opportunities

Gas equipment use and maintenance is an easy message to convey with efficiency opportunity as high as 25% possible.

reasonable savings, but restaurateurs need to see how energy efficient lighting choices look once installed. Air-conditioning maintenance and equipment choices are an unknown to restaurateurs. It seems restaurateurs do not understand the language of air conhtioning and are intimidated by its complexities. Refrigeration maintenance is a big efficiency opportunity with low investment required.

= Employee training offers one of the greatest single opportunities for savings but has the most severe obstacles of any of the suggestions discussed. The greatest success with acceptance for this type of training was when it was tried within a vocational school setting. Working with other professionals who have contacts with restaurateurs to share our findings and expertise will help extend our reach to the over 8,000 restaurants in this state that would benefit from energy efficiency.

Lighting opportunities provide

References

Florida Restaurant Association, 1988. "Increasing Profits through Energy Conservation," Hollywood, FL.

Friend, Gil, 1991. "What's my Restaurant Got to do with Saving the Earth," Presented at the National Restaurant Show, Chicago, IL.

Hurst, Mike, 1991. "Restaurants into the 'SO'S," Presented at the Electric Power Research Institute, Foodservice Equipment Seminar, New Orleans, LA.

National Restaurant Association, 12/90. "Energy and Food Protection Report," Chicago, IL.

Tampa Electric. "Energy Management Practices for the Foodservice Industry," Tampa, FL.

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Appendix A. Distribution of Florida Restaurants*

NUMBER OF COUNTY

Machua Baker Bay Bradford Brevard Broward Calhoun Charlotte Citrus Clay Collier Columbia Dade DeSoto Dixie Duval Escambia Flagler Franklin Gadsden Gilchri s t Glades Gulf Hamilton Hardee Hendry Hernando Highlands Hillsborough Holmes Indian River Jackson Jefferson Lafayette Lake Lee Leon Levy Liberty Madison Man a tee Marion Martin Monroe Nassau

UNITS

306 13

298 19

63 1 2,2 12

9 108 109 111 253 50

2,824 19 16

1,069 406

32 18 24 13 4

13 13 15 32

102 77

1,269 7

J19 34

6 4

19 1 56 1 269

37 1 8

279 238 157 288 53

Okaloosa 288

SALES NUMBER OF {IN $1,000)

$131,790 2,936

125,077 9,613

254,087 1,093,152

2,365 45,813 32,129 55,324

116,222 29,962

1,319,990 6,337 1,984

496,380 174,643

7,807 2,555 6,672 1,427

618 4,593 2,458 2,888 8,984

33,418 24,92 1

600,369 6,035

52,918 9,955 1,335

69,039 2 5 4,O 7 2 141,428

9,522

1,866 140,611 102,938 65,673

122,313 18,829

118,658

COUNTY

Okeechobee Orange Osceola Palm Beach Pasco Pinellas Polk Putnam St. Johns St. Lucie Santa Rosa Sarasota Seminole Sumter Suwannee Taylor Union Volusia Wakulla Walton Washington

TOTALS

UNITS

41 1,065

180 1,370

294 1,501

498 61

168 162 70

2,504 368 30 20 24 1

654 14 30 13

SALES (IN $1.000)

17,970 667,707 118,803 682,133 109,213 656,42 7 200,102

18,771 66,435 75,674 22,422

246,627 182,227 14,546 7,771 8,339

266,807 3,290 8,293 4,076

19,673 $9,087,339,000

* From the 1990 Florida Statistical Abstract

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To Contact the Author

Karen C. Miller, Ph.D. Energy Extension Service 5334 S. County Road 579 Sefier, FL 33584/3334 (8 13) 744-55 19