Energy efficient supermarkets - Professional kitchens

Energy measurements and energy survey were performed in a Max Hamburger restaurant and nine energy saving measures were proposed. The greatest energy savings are heat recovery of the ventilation air, which is estimated to reduce the total district heating demand by about two thirds. An energy saving of just over 10 % can be obtained by minimizing the operating times of the grills. If all nine measures are implemented, the savings will be about 20 % of the electricity and just under 90 % of the district heating, or 42 % of the total purchased energy.

A document which compiles the rules applicable to safe handling of flammable refrigerants and which can be approved as a guideline by the Swedish authorities, and to encourage the development of efficient energy use in food premises and thus contribute to national energy and environmental objectives has been produced. The document has been used in the development of Swedish Refrigeration norm for units with flammable refrigerants.

In this pre-study we aim to shed the light and different perspectives for actors on how to achieve increased energy efficiency between tenant and landlord by energy contracts or energy agreement. This may lead to increased energy efficiency, better use of energy and reduce environmental impact.

This prestudy which was completed in February 2018, specifies how a future implementation project will be set up in terms of technical solution (measurment and application/ interface) as well as testing and evaluation. 

This pilot study has mapped which measurement data and information is relevant for commercial kitchen staff to take part of and how this should be made available in a digital solution (application) to support and motivate improved behaviour for reduced energy use in daily work. It is important for users that the digital tool is easy to use. A wish from the users are that the tool should provide precise information about what individual machines/zones uses. You want to be able to easily deduce where you can adjust work routines. Users also want to receive direct reminders at the place in the kitchen where they work and be able to get the information gathered in a report/ overview that can be presented at day/ weekly meetings and work team meetings.

One way to reduce food waste can be to lower the temperature in the cold chain so that the temperatures are optimal. The National Food Administration's proposal is that the storage temperature for refrigerated goods should be a maximum of 4 ° C. This feasibility study has investigated consequences it could entail with regard to increased energy use and the need for investments. The results show, among other things, the importance of all industries along the food cold chain / value chain having to work more and better together towards common goals.

Large amounts of energy are lost in contaminated extract air from commercial kitchens. The potential energy savings in commercial kitchens, where many energy demanding devices share a limited space, can annually be in the order of 500 kWh per m2. To be able to recover this energy it might be needed to clean the air. In this study we have looked at various types of equipment for heat recovery and techniques for air cleaning.

When cooking and preparing food in commercial kitchens a lot of heat is produced. Energy consumption and operating costs in commercial kitchens can be reduced by installing systems that allow heat exchange between the various energy flows in the kitchens. The purpose of this study was to investigate the possibility of covering the cooling and / or heating requirement internally at commercial kitchens.

Most often, it is ownership conditions that prevent solutions with heat recovery in food premises. Ventilation systems including heat production and distribution are owned by the property owner, while systems for cooling and heating food are owned by the tenant. If both parties believe that they can benefit from energy efficiency measures, more energy agreements will be able to be concluded.

Fat reduction systems in commercial kitchen ventilation have become more common in new projects and also in existing proporties. Benefits for property owners with these are several. Mainly, the treatment of the grease in the smoke duct reduces the risk of fire and odor removal. But from an energy efficiency point of view, fat reduction can also be crucial to enable heat recovery in the ventilation system. 

This report describes how a test methodology was developed based on visits to different commercial kitchens with different combinations of fat reduction systems, meetings with different manufacturers and stakeholders, measurment in the field, preparation of proposals for buildning a test setup, testing and evaluation of a number of different systems. 

Fat reduction systems in commercial kitchen ventilation have become more common in new projects and also in existing proporties. Benefits for property owners with these are several. Mainly, the treatment of the grease in the smoke duct reduces the risk of fire and odor removal. But from an energy efficiency point of view, fat reduction can also be crucial to enable heat recovery in the ventilation system. 

The purpose of the project was to develop a test methodology for measuring and evaluating how fat separation systems in commercial kitchen ventilation can increase the possibility of heat recovery. The purpose was to be able to facilitate comparisons of fat separation systems with regard to efficiency, but also to take into account maintenance needs and safety aspects by developing guidelines for these. 

With heat recovered from the grocery stores' refrigeration systems, it is possible to reduce energy use, increase sustainability and reduce costs for the retailer and the property where grocery stores are located as tenants. In society, between the actors, more efficient ways of designing, building and managing the property portfolio are required.

The project shows great savings potential both in terms of energy and finances. The interesting thing is that the savings are intended to be achieved by (energy) managing the existing energy use that each user currently has.

In many refrigerators and freezers today, conventional fluorescent tubes of the T8 type are used as light sources. On the market today, there are replacement LED fluorescent lamps that fit into the existing luminaires in refrigerators and freezers. An exchange of existing fluorescent lamps to those of the LED type provides an energy saving both in terms of direct electrical energy for lighting and also indirectly as the LED fluorescent lamps generate less heat and thus reduce the cooling need in the refrigerated and freezing furniture.

Every year, we throw 1.2 million tonnes of food in Sweden. Some fully edible, only that the best before date has passed. SIK (Institute for food and biotechnology) is a solution on the tracks - a chip on the packaging that gives the food the right status.

Energy measurements and energy mapping were performed in restaurants and kitchens at IKEA and six energy-saving measures were proposed. The greatest energy savings are given to a rebuild of the cooling system that can reduce electricity consumption by 40 MWh / year or 6% of the kitchen's total electricity consumption. If all analyzed measures are implemented, the restaurant is estimated to be able to save 14% of the electricity for the kitchen and restaurant.