Since you’re reading this, you likely understand the importance of managing a restaurant’s energy use.
With this in mind, have you considered how vital your startup and shutdown procedures are for saving on energy costs?
GWT2Energy is here to help with these procedures. After all, energy efficiency in restaurants is our business.
Idle Time is the Enemy
Maintaining a startup and shutdown schedule will decrease your restaurant technologies’ idle time.
As this Energy Star guide emphasizes, maximizing the benefits of energy-saving equipment means using “good practices.” Such practice must include reducing idle time.
This is only done by following solid startup and shutdown procedures.
Basic Startup Tips
Every boiler, steamer, and fryer doesn’t need to be switched on the moment a restaurant opens.
Knowing how long it takes to heat up or cook your menu items will help you establish a schedule. Why switch on the chili crock pots 30 minutes before lunch begins when it takes 13 minutes to get to proper serving temperature?
Similarly, understanding when your customers arrive prevents unnecessary energy hours of all your equipment. Ask yourself: why turn on all three fryers at 4:00 PM when you can use two until peak customer hours begin at 5:30 PM?
Basic Shutdown Tips
Also, establish a shutdown schedule that allows for proper cleaning of all equipment. Clogged up machinery can reduce energy efficiency.
Shutdown schedules must also ensure ALL equipment is turned off overnight when not needed.
You see, your restaurant’s office may be costing you more than you thought!
Unplugging “phantom load” items such as laptops and surge protectors can save loads of energy and may be needed as part of your shutdown procedures.
Also, a hot-food holding cabinet left on at night can rack up over $500 a year in energy costs according to Madison Gas and Electric Company.
Of course, this cost varies and worsen when energy unit cost is up. Having seen such waste, and correcting it, we fully understand the value of keeping to an optimal shutdown schedule.
We Can Help
Optimizing and maintaining proper startup and shutdown procedures is a complex endeavor.
No need to worry because GWT2Energy has you covered!
We can put you in control of your energy use and keep your costs down. Our monitoring, automation, and scheduling systems can make it easy to have all your equipment starting up and shutting down at the optimal times.
Please contact us so we can help you save that hard-earned cash and practice better energy efficiency in your restaurant.
