Saving Energy and Electricity Use at the Bar

For water use, see the Water Savings page. 

For purchasing bar equipment, see the Bar Equipment page.

Freezer/Refrigerator 

• 1-minute video about how to ensure your walk-in freezer is set at the right temperature
• Maintain refrigerator doors - Video "open doors, bad gaskets, non-functioning door closers, bad hinges and missing strip curtains will all drive up your cost to operate."
• Install Strip Curtains and Plastic Doors video
• Install Energy-Efficient Evaporator Fan Motors in your walk-in video
• Clean Refrigeration Coils & Save Energy video

Electricity for Hot Water

Rather than a hot water tank that is kept heated, some venues may use an on-demand hot water system aka a tankless water heater. These may be used with a water recirculator, which returns cold water in the hot water line back to the water heater rather than wasting it.  Some information on one system was found here.

• Nicholas Box of The Acorn restaurant in Vancouver  mentioned they were considering one of these systems for both energy use and space-savings reasons. 
• Install Timer Control on Recirculation Pump video
• Optimize hot water settings - check your hot water temperature to ensure you're not unnecessarily getting it too hot. 1-minute video 

Misc Energy-Savings

• Set up an opening/closing schedule for equipment to ensure they're not on when not needed. This includes devices like the kitchen exhaust fan, holding cabinets, heat lamps, steam tables, and plate warmers for restaurants. Also consider that pre-heating equipment is usually accomplished in 15 minutes, not an hour. Create a schedule and publish it. Short video about this.
• Track Energy and Water Usage video
• Install a Demand Ventilation Control System in your Exhaust Fan video
• Optimize Exhaust Hoods video - Adding side and back panels, 
• Seal and Insulate Your Establishment video
• Install Energy-Efficient Windows video
• Maintain Burners and Pilot Lights video
• Be sure the water heater and pipes are insulated properly
• If your venue has high ceilings, ceiling fans can push hot back back down during heating season. 

Lighting

• Save up to 75% on lighting with compact fluorescent bulbs video
• Don't replace all lighting at the same time to more efficient lighting: wait until the current bulbs burn out (and try to recycle them- some hardware stores recycle compact fluorescents for example)
• Install Occupancy (Motion) Sensors video
• Exit Signs
  • Install LED Exit Signs video
• Bathroom Lighting
  • Motion detector switches make a lot of sense for bathroom lighting.
•  Outdoor Lighting [short video]
  • Outdoor lighting is usually more energy intensive than indoor lighting
  • Be sure to reset lighting timers after Daylight Savings Time changes
  • Use a photocell to automatically turn lights on and off at the appropriate times