It is estimated that restaurants consume 7 or 8 times as much energy per square foot as most other businesses, therefore energy efficient kitchen design and more efficient catering appliances could have a dramatic effect on not only costs, but the environment too.

Space are experts at energy efficiency consulting and have had some great results.  At the University of Winchester, Space installed a state-of-the-art Winterhalter energy-efficient dishwasher, a class-leading commercial dishwasher in terms of water and energy use.  The newly installed dishwasher could be fed using the ‘free hot water’ by recovering heat from the remote refrigeration plant. This meant that the dishwasher used virtually no electricity for heating water, resulting in massive energy savings.  It was calculated that the pay-back period for the heat recovery system would be less than 18 months.

At the Launchpad Training College in Tewkesbury, Space installed i-hob technology.  Widely predicted as the future cooking method of choice in commercial kitchens, this energy efficient catering appliance delivers 90% of the heat to the pan compared with 40% from a gas hob.  The i-hobs also turn off automatically when not in use or when a pan is not in direct contact with it, saving more energy and money. Space also used induction hobs in the Hotel Verta, London and this – along with the eco- friendly refrigeration – is delivering consistent saving.

Space are committed to making a difference through quality energy efficiency consulting. To find out more about our catering equipment and appliance projects, talk to us about your upcoming project, get in touch via email mail@spacegroupuk.com or call 01452 383000.

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As part of our commitment to sustainable solutions that save our clients money and reduce environmental impact we are continuously putting the catering equipment we recommend to the test, making sure it reaches our standards.

A recent example is this case study, pitting the Instanta 1501F Water Boiler against a market leader in the Space staff kitchen which serves over 100 hot drinks per day to our thirsty team.

Probably the most significant observation over the 40 day trial period was a reduction in kw output of 32%, equating to a 32% saving in electricity bill costs. Apart from electricity usage the biggest ongoing running cost for the boiler is the frequency of filter changes. The interval between filter changes for the Instanta is 13,000 litres, which is 4x better than other leading models, delivering further cost savings.

Whilst the Instanta 1501F Boiler cost price is higher than some competitors, we found that this cost is neutralised after just 155 days with our usage resulting in savings from that point onwards.

• Compact and reliable
• Manufactured from high-grade stainless steel
• Basic fault diagnostics with LCD read out
• Built-in multi-filtration with adjustable filter monitor
• Large non drip taps with chromed-brass spindle
• Self priming
• Long life incoloy element
• Over-boil & Boil dry protection
• Low voltage switching
• Optional rear-drain connection
• 12 months parts and labour guarantee
• 1.5 metre food quality hose with 3/4″ BSP female connections
• Thermistor controlled for constant hot water temperature of 98°C
• Easy access for service and cleaning

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David Morton, Catering Manager at the University of Winchester had two significant problems with his ware-washing operation at the busy Food Hall in the main campus.

Firstly, his ageing commercial dishwashing was inefficient with poor wash results and ongoing maintenance costs that were becoming untenable.  Secondly, the old machine, fed from his hot water supply, was draining his boiler tanks of expensive hot water on a daily basis leaving the kitchen team with no hot water at the sinks from around 2pm each day, with the inevitable detrimental effects to the efficiency of his operation.

David and his team have focussed on sustainable solutions in their operation for some time and were aware of Space Catering Equipment through their ‘Guide to Sustainable Kitchens’ distributed at the TUCO conference.   Space suggested that the old machine was replaced with one of Winterhalter’s energy efficient MTR rack commercial dishwashers that are class-leading in terms of water and energy use.  This represented a huge technological advance improving wash quality, reducing water consumption AND saving energy.

What really excited David was the proposal by Space that the dishwasher could be fed using the ‘free hot water’ by recovering heat from his remote refrigeration plant.  This not only addressed the hot water shortage but also meant that the Winterhalter dishwasher used virtually no electricity for heating water, resulting in massive savings.  It was calculated that the pay-back period for the heat recovery system would be less than 18 months. In fact it is estimated that the whole scheme, including the new dishwasher, would be self-funding within five years.

Six months on and David’s estates team have been monitoring energy use, and the ‘After’ graph to the right shows the stored water temperature never dropping below 47 degrees with a much quicker recovery time.  Added to which there have been no dishwasher breakdowns and wash results are massively improved.

David Morton (University of Winchester) “This energy-saving investment has been a huge success, and quite simply I think the results speak for themselves”

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