Isabel Schestak
Commercial kitchens in the UK hospitality and food service sector consume more energy for the preparation of meals than cooking in domestic kitchens. However, they can also play a vital role in climate change mitigation. The heat in the drain water of commercial kitchens is a valuable source of energy, which - when recovered - saves energy for hot water heating and hence carbon emissions but also costs.
The technology is simple: a heat exchanger – a double walled copper pipe – replaces a part of the kitchen’s drain, through which heat is transferred from the warm drain water to the cold incoming water. The boiler receives the pre-warmed water and requires less energy to heat the water to the desired temperature. If all food outlets in the UK were to install a heat recovery system, an estimated 500 000 tonnes of CO2 equivalent could be saved every year and make a significant contribution to a net zero hospitality sector.
For instance, a restaurant with a water consumption of 2,000 m3/year could recover approx. 16,000 kWh/year and save 4,000 kg CO2 equivalent – considering that natural gas is replaced. With a gas price of 3 p/kWh this translates to savings of about £5,000 for 10 years of operation. If the kitchen uses electricity for water heating at a rate of 14 p/kWh, heat recovery would save £22,000 in 10 years. An analysis of the commercial kitchens in the UK showed that the majority would be able to achieve a financial payback within less than 10 years after considering the installation costs of the heat recovery system.
Free sustainability webinar - RELOADED
Following the positive feedback we received last year, we are offering our free webinar on heat recovery for commercial kitchens for a second time. It addresses owners, operators, managers, and all interested stakeholders involved with commercial kitchens in hotels, restaurants, pubs, cafes, canteens etc. In this free 1hr-webinar, participants can learn how recovering heat from drain water works, which equipment is needed and will be able get an individual estimate for the savings achievable on a case- by-case basis, using our Heat Recovery Tool specifically developed for commercial kitchens. During the webinar, the installation of the technology at the demonstration site at the café of Penrhyn Castle, Wales, run by the National Trust, will also be illustrated.
Register now: “Don’t flush money down the kitchen drain!”. March 15 2022, 10-11am GMT.