ENERGY STAR^® Commercial Food Service Newsletter

Utilities Launch New ENERGY STAR Commercial Food Service Programs

MidAmerican Energy

Through MidAmerican Energy’s Commercial Kitchen Equipment Program, Iowa customers can take advantage of prescriptive rebates for a range of ENERGY STAR qualifying equipment. MidAmerican also offers financing assistance and custom incentives to promote energy efficient kitchen strategies. This year MidAmerican Energy kicked off a new $500 rebate for ENERGY STAR qualified natural gas fryers. They continue to offer $100-225 for ENERGY STAR qualified refrigerators, $50-125 for ENERGY STAR qualified solid door freezers, and $250 for ENERGY STAR qualified hot food holding cabinets. MidAmerican is looking for new marketing and outreach opportunities to promote their program, and is interested in leveraging local manufacturers’ representatives and equipment suppliers. MidAmerican also plans to attend the National Restaurant Association’s Restaurant Hotel Motel show in Chicago May 17-20.

For more information, visit their program page at www.midamericanenergy.com/kitchen, or call 800-894-9599.

Questar

In October 2007, Nexant Associates, on behalf of Questar, submitted fast track approval for ENERGY STAR Commercial Fryers and Steam Cookers rebate programs to the Utah PSC. Questar received PSC approval for the commercial food service measures. Questar is offering $1,000 for ENERGY STAR qualified gas fryers and steam cookers.

For more information visit: www.thermwise.com./DSMTariff.pdf and www.energystar.gov/cfsrebate_locator.

Public Service Company of New Mexico

Starting in 2008, Public Service Company of New Mexico (PNM) will be implementing several new DSM programs for its electric customers. PNM has just received approval to launch a program and rebate for ENERGY STAR Commercial gas fryers.

When additional information is available, it will be posted at www.energystar.gov/cfsrebate_locator.

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ENERGY STAR Product Development Activities

Refrigeration
On February 14, 2008, EPA sent out a Draft 1 Version 2.0 Specification for Commercial Refrigerators and Freezers. The current specification has been in place since September 2001 and in 2005 Congress passed new Federal minimum efficiency standards that require all solid door refrigerators and freezers to meet the equivalent of ENERGY STAR levels as of January 1, 2010. To keep the product category relevant in the marketplace and ensure that the top performers are represented, EPA is moving forward with a revision to this specification.

Some key suggested changes include:

• Proposed new energy consumption levels based on volume ranges. This new volume approach is being proposed in response to concerns that the current specification requirements do not provide adequate model availability of smaller sized equipment.
• Addition of sliding door units and glass door unit as new categories eligible for qualification based on manufacturer interest and/or availability of performance data.
• Adjustment to the integrated average product temperature for testing ice cream freezers from -5 degrees F to -15 degrees F to align with the Department of Energy proposed testing requirements under the Energy Policy Act of 2005.
• Reference to ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 72-2005 in Section 4: Test Criteria. Based on manufacturer discussions, referencing Standard 72, as opposed to the previously referenced and now outdated ASHRAE/ANSI 117 Standard; will not impact energy efficiency performance results.
• Applicability to food-grade equipment only. Laboratory-grade equipment requirements will be incorporated into the specification in later drafts.

Griddles
In November 2007, EPA announced that they were researching commercial griddles to determine whether an ENERGY STAR specification can be developed for this product category.

Product Development Process
EPA’s goal in developing new, and revising existing, product specifications is to recognize approximately the top 25% of models in the marketplace in regards to energy and/or water efficiency. To develop ENERGY STAR product specifications, EPA and DOE use a systematic process that relies on rigorous market, engineering, and energy/water savings analyses as well as input from industry stakeholders. This process ensures that the ENERGY STAR label continues to:

• identify products where large gains in energy and/or water efficiency and pollution reduction can be cost-effectively realized;
• play an influential role to expand the market for these products.

When considering revisions to an existing specification or new specification development, EPA and DOE refer to the following guiding principles:

• Significant energy savings will be realized on a national basis.
• Product energy consumption and performance and can be measured and verified with testing.
• Product performance will be maintained or enhanced.
• Purchasers of the product will recover any cost difference within a reasonable time period.
• Specifications do not unjustly favor any one technology.
• Labeling will effectively differentiate products to purchasers.

For more information on the ENERGY STAR product development process and current specification efforts, visit: www.energystar.gov/productdevelopment.

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ENERGY STAR Reminders!

Thank You!
A big thank you to all of our ENERGY STAR commercial food service partners who submitted unit shipment data for 2006. There was a 100% response rate for this industry! Keep up the great work; don’t forget to respond for 2007!

ENERGY STAR Equipment Photos
Please send us your high-resolution photos of ENERGY STAR qualified product (especially dishwashers and ice machines!). Having high-resolution photos available make it easier for us to promote your products to media, if we have them at the ready.

AutoQuotes Reminder
On October 24, 2007, AutoQuotes and EPA sent an email to ENERGY STAR CFS partners to encourage you to submit information on your ENERGY STAR qualified models. Please remember to include this data when submitting to AutoQuotes—operators and distributors are looking for this information when selling products. Thank you!

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Look for the next ENERGY STAR Commercial Food Service Newsletter in June!

American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy and ENERGY STAR Awards Announced

We wanted to congratulate our colleagues who have been recently recognized by American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) and by ENERGY STAR for their excellence in energy-efficiency program delivery and manufacturer promotion.

Recognized by American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy for Exemplary Programs: California Statewide Food Service Equipment Program including: Pacific Gas & Electric, Southern California Edison, San Diego Gas & Electric, and Southern California Gas. Food Service Program: CenterPoint Energy. Food Service Technology Center: Pacific Gas & Electric.

ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year, Product Manufacturer: ITW Food Equipment Group, North America

ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year, Sustained Excellence: Wisconsin Focus on Energy

ENERGY STAR, Excellence in ENERGY STAR promotion: Energy Trust of Oregon

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ENERGY STAR & Industry: Partnering for Change

ENERGY STAR representatives have been in the field promoting ENERGY STAR and energy-efficient products. Representatives have been educating operators, distributors, and manufacturers about the latest equipment, tools, and resources available for their use.

ENERGY STAR representatives have attended and spoke at the following conferences: 2008 Supply and Equipment Foodservice Alliance Academy (SEFA), North American Association of Food Equipment Manufacturers (NAFEM) 2008 Annual Meeting & Management Workshop, the 2008 Multiunit Foodservice Equipment Symposium (MUFES), and the Foodservice Directors' MenuDirections 2008. SEFA Academy provided a two-hour session to discuss ENERGY STAR, energy-efficiency, and tools and resources to help distributors promote these products to their customers. NAFEM provided a forum to discuss the latest in ENERGY STAR qualified equipment and energy-efficient trends. ENERGY STAR was a part of a big-picture line-up where MUFES attendees listened to studies on climate change, information on the new NAFEM lifecycle cost tool, regulations and codes, and an update on the US Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy Efficient Design (LEED) program.

ENERGY STAR will continue to attend conferences and raise awareness of the brand in supporting its partners’ in the field. As part of this effor, EPA will be attending and speaking at the National Restaurant Show, Chicago, IL, May 17-20, 2008.

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Southern California Edison Holds Annual “Food for Thought” Event

In November, Southern California held a cutting-edge high-tech symposium on the CBS Studio’s “Streets of New York” for their Foodservice Customers. The focus of the event was to educate the industry on the latest energy efficiency and electric foodservice technology to help cut costs and reduce the environmental impact of their business. Specific topics included: Assembly Bill 32; greenhouse gas emissions, climate change, and how it may influence the food service industry; education on energy efficient electric technologies that can help save energy, money and the environment; industry best practices that may benefit CFS operations; and information on SCE energy efficiency rebates and incentives.

ENERGY STAR was also represented at the event; sharing information about ENERGY STAR and product benefits

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ENERGY STAR Testing and Qualification

ENERGY STAR is a voluntary program co-sponsored by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Department of Energy (DOE).

Manufacturers sign a Partnership Agreement and commit to: using the ENERGY STAR label correctly, providing unit shipment data, and qualifying a product within a year of signing. Manufacturers provide a Qualified Product Information (QPI) form to self-certify their products with ENERGY STAR. Manufacturers typically use a third-party to test, but now some manufacturers are doing their own testing.

ENERGY STAR is committed to brand integrity and monitors the use of the logo within the commercial food service industry. Just recently, EPA sent out a letter to commercial refrigeration partners to ensure that manufacturers were using the logo appropriately, since there was confusion in the marketplace of what could earn the ENERGY STAR. EPA continues to follow-up on instances of logo violations.

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Restaurants Making a Difference

Carl’s Jr.: Carpinteria, California

Founded by industry pioneer Carl N. Karcher, Carl’s Jr. restaurants have been a West Coast favorite for more than 65 years.  With over 1,000 locations, Carl’s Jr. is known throughout the Western U.S. as the place to go for premium burgers.

• Carl’s Jr. took the initiative six years ago to team with the California Independently Owned Utilities (IOUs), seeing energy demand growing in California, to leverage energy efficiency measures and tools.
• Juliann Rogers, Energy Manager of Carl’s Jr., took advantage of rebates for ENERGY STAR qualified fryers as well as refrigeration and ice machine equipment.
• Carl’s Jr. has also worked closely with Pacific Gas and Electric’s Food Service Technology Center in determining the latest energy-efficient technologies as well as leveraging the IOUs’ training courses.
• Juliann mentioned that their ENERGY STAR qualified fryers are high efficiency, high performing fryers. She added that along with better energy performance, these fryers have the added benefit of longer oil life.
• Her experience working with the California IOUs has been very successful. Juliann said, “We’re very committed to energy-efficiency and rebates make energy-efficient appliances even more attractive.”
• Carl’s Junior has benefited significantly from of the rebates offered; they have received over $65,000 in rebates on 99 qualified fryers, 23 ice machines, and 4 griddles resulting in savings of 50,347 Therms and 65,000 kWh.

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National Restaurant Association "Green" Poll

The National Restaurant Association recently polled its readers about the importance of green issues and energy efficiency. Their answers are ranked above.

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