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ENERGY STAR for Restaurant

Smart Energy Investments

“Greenness” sells. Join other satisfied ENERGY STAR Partners, who have increased profits through energy efficiency. Recognition materials are available to help you attract the increasing numbers of “green” customers.

Quick Fixes

If you: You can:
Light your dining area with dimmable incandescent light bulbs Replace them with dimmable compact fluorescent light bulbs
Light any area, including under your exhaust hood, with non-dimming incandescent light bulbs Replace them with compact fluorescent light bulbs
Set your heating and cooling thermostat(s) by hand Install a programmable thermostat and use night setback
Only partially fill your refrigerators and freezers Keep your newer refrigerators and freezers filled; empty and disconnect older ones
Clean your refrigerator and freezer condenser coils infrequently Clean them every 3 months
Have cracked or warped refrigerator or freezer gaskets or hinges Replace or repair them
Operate any appliance when it is not needed Turn it off

Lighting

If you: You can:
Light your dining area or kitchen with standard fluorescent lighting and magnetic ballasts Replace them with T-8 fluorescent lamps with electronic ballasts
Provide too much light in your dining area during daytime hours Install a daylighting control system
Light your exit signs with incandescent bulbs Replace the bulbs with light emitting diode (LED) exit sign retrofit kits
Light your parking area with incandescent or mercury vapor lighting Replace it with high-pressure sodium or metal halide lighting (add photocells and a timer for additional savings)
Manually turn the lights in refrigerators, freezers, and storage areas on and off Replace the switches with occupancy sensors (low-temperature sensors in refrigerators)
Spotlight areas with incandescent light bulbs Replace them with halogen bulbs

Large Investments (see more)

If you: You can:
Have an oil or gas boiler or furnace that is ready for replacement Replace it with a high-efficiency oil or gas boiler or furnace
Heat your dining area with electric resistance baseboard heaters Replace resistance heating and old cooling system with a heat pump (if you are in a temperate climate zone)
Cool your dining area and kitchen with an old, standard-efficiency air-conditioning system Replace it with a high-efficiency electric or gas air-conditioning system
Use evaporative coolers Check monthly to ensure the evaporator element and drain are not clogged
Spotlight areas with incandescent light bulbs Replace them with halogen bulbs
Exhaust cooking fumes with a standard exhaust hood that needs to be replaced Replace it with hoods optimized for your cooking needs

Kitchen Enhancements

If you: You can:
Fry food with a conventional gas fryer Replace it with an infrared gas fryer or a high-efficiency atmospheric gas fryer
Have a 10- to 20-year-old conventional dishwasher Replace it with an insulated dishwasher, or
  Replace it with an infrared gas dishwasher
If you: You can:
Have a walk-in refrigerator Install evaporator fan controls to reduce fan use
Leave your walk-in refrigerator door open when loading it Install a plastic strip curtain over the entrance
Have a refrigerator that needs replacing Replace it with a high-efficiency refrigerator

More Large Investments

If you: You can:
Need to replace your heating and cooling systems Replace them with a geothermal heat pump (ask your local utility about rebates)
Need to replace your dining area heating and cooling systems Include desiccant energy recovery in the replacement system
Need to replace your kitchen cooling system Include evaporative cooling in the design
Manually control your lighting, heating, and cooling Install an energy management system
Use personal computers in your restaurant Specify ENERGY STAR labeled computers
Have large untinted glass wall space Install clear coating on the south and west windows

ENERGY STAR Qualified Products

The ENERGY STAR label appears on over 50 different product categories. Use these products in your facilities to lower energy use, save money, and help protect the environment.