If your property includes a restaurant or other commercial kitchen, check kitchen ventilation when you look for energy savings. A lot of air moves through the kitchen, so ventilation can use a lot of energy. That consumption can easily go unnoticed among the rest of the building’s energy use.
Why does restaurant kitchen ventilation use so much energy?
Heat, moisture, cooking fumes, and other contaminants are removed from a commercial kitchen. Make-up air is brought in to replace the exhaust air. In winter the air must be heated, and for part of the year it may need cooling. Fans also consume electricity.
The exhaust air volume from a single commercial kitchen hood can be around 300 litres per second. With several hoods, total air volume rises quickly.
When is there saving potential in ventilation?
Saving potential is especially high when ventilation runs at the same high air volume for long periods. A restaurant may be open for many hours, but kitchen load varies through the day. Prep work, the lunch rush, and quiet afternoon periods usually do not need the same air volume.
A timer schedule sets when ventilation runs, but it does not reflect the kitchen’s changing load.
Timer control or demand control for commercial kitchen ventilation?
How do you check saving potential for your property?
Contact us and we will assess it free of charge.
Based on this information, Safera can estimate FlowHero’s energy-saving potential. For an initial estimate we usually need a photo of the BMS workstation showing the kitchen air handling unit, a photo of the timer schedule, and a ventilation drawing or photos of the kitchen.