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Title: The model electric restaurant

Technical Report ·
OSTI ID:7154028
;  [1];  [2]
  1. Architectural Energy Corp., Boulder, CO (USA)
  2. Pennsylvania State Univ., University Park, PA (USA)

Restaurants are the most intensive users of energy of all types of commercial buildings. As a result, they have some of the highest energy costs. New and existing restaurants are important customers to electric utilities. Many opportunities exist to use electricity to improve restaurant energy performance. This report discusses a project in which computer simulations were used to investigate restaurant energy subsystem performance and to assess the potential for electric equipment to reduce energy consumption, reduce peak demand improve load factors, and reduce energy cost in new all-electric restaurants. The project investigated typical restaurant designs for all-electric and gas/electric facilities and compared them to high efficiency electric options in all-electric restaurants. This analysis determined which investiments in high-efficiency electric equipment are attractive for restaurant operators. Improved equipment for food preparation, heating and cooling, ventilation, sanitation, and lighting subsystem was studied in cafeteria, full menu, fast food, and pizza restaurants in Atlanta, Cleveland, Los Angeles, and Phoenix. In addition to the actual rate structures, four synthetic rate structures were used to calculate energy costs, so that the results can be applied to other locations. The results indicate that high efficiency and improved all-electric equipment have the potential for significantly reducing energy consumption, peak demand, and operating costs in almost all restaurants in all locations. The all-electric restaurants, with a combination of improved equipment, also offer the customer a competitive choice in fuels in most locations. 12 refs., 26 figs., 55 tabs.

Research Organization:
Electric Power Research Inst., Palo Alto, CA (USA); Architectural Energy Corp., Boulder, CO (USA); Pennsylvania State Univ., University Park, PA (USA)
Sponsoring Organization:
EPRI
OSTI ID:
7154028
Report Number(s):
EPRI-CU-6702-Vol.1
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English