Warewashing & energy savings:
How food service can save essential resources and lower operating costs
Energy efficiency is a global challenge. In the hotel and hospitality industry, energy-saving commercial dishwashers are the right answer. This article explains why that is and what restaurant owners should pay special attention to.
Ever since the 1970s, humanity has consumed more raw materials than our beautiful blue planet can provide. As a result, the availability of essential resources such as water, crude oil carbon and natural gas continues to decline. A global challenge. The ‘Club of Rome’ international organisation has been alluding it for decades.
Add to that climate change, which is at the very least accelerated by the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide, released when energy is generated. This is a general scientific consensus. And it is why we have to save resources and conduct more environmentally responsible business. This responsibility falls mainly on industry, as a major consumer of water and energy. But consumption-heavy industries such as the hotel and hospitality sector will also have to make changes.
In our previous posts on this topic, we talked about how food service can save water and cook efficiently – which not only makes sense from an ecological point of view, but also has economic benefits, as it lowers operating costs. This time, we will turn our focus to energy-saving warewashing technology and to commercial dishwashing machines.
Up-to-date warewashing technology is an ecological and economical must
In food service, power consumption represents a majority of operating costs. The front-runner is cooking – followed by cooling technology and warewashing. It’s no accident that responsible warewashing specialists such as MEIKO place an emphasis on sustainability and efficiency. To save the environment. To ensure customer efficiency despite ever increasing water and electricity prices.
But purchasing a commercial dishwashing machine is just the very first step. Extremely short wash cycle times may save a bunch of energy and put household machines in their place. But to take full advantage of the efficiency of commercial dishwashers, restaurant owners should follow the tips below.
Forgo standby mode!
If commercial dishwashing machines aren’t running non-stop, standby mode doesn’t do any good. It simply wastes energy. If the dishwasher is used on a non-regular basis, it makes sense to turn it on when beginning the cycle. And to shut it off as soon as the cycle is done. Plus, the machine should be kept closed when not in use.
Avoid half-full wash cycles!
Half-full dishwashers top the list of energy guzzlers. After all, they use as much energy as full machines. So, wait until you have enough washware for a full load. This is more efficient. Of course, catering to guests shouldn’t come to a standstill as a result! Make sure leftover food doesn’t dry. Otherwise, this will require additional wash cycles. And that costs money.
Lower consumption peaks!
Running multiple power guzzles at once can get expensive. After all, the energy price is calculated based on consumption peaks. Ideally, commercial dishwashers should only be running when all other appliances are switched off. Unimaginable in food service. We have a trick to help: Switch on electric kitchen appliances at different times to keep costs low. After all, switching them on uses the most energy.
Commercial dishwashers should be green to the core
In today’s world, every commercial dishwasher should be green to the core for the reasons mentioned. Besides all these tips and tricks, technical advancement is now more important than ever. And leading manufacturers are showing the way.
One special highlight is the M-iQ AirConcept from MEIKO. This innovative air management solution stands for the very best in exhaust heat recovery – and saves up to 21 percent energy, while lowering operating costs. The idea behind it: instead of releasing the hot steam from the previous wash cycle to escape into the environment, it is reused inside the machine. Existing energy is returned to the water cycle, requiring less new energy. It’s simple maths. As the heat doesn’t escape into the dishwashing area, employees are spared the heat and humidity. In short: Energy efficiency meets cost savings meets ergonomics.
Heat recovery to enhance air qualitiy and energy efficiency
There is no need to even tap the hood with our automatic rack detection. Just insert the rack from the side and let the dishwashing machine do the rest.
What are you waiting for? Kill two birds with one stone!
When it comes to food service, energy-efficient warewashing technology pays for itself many times over: It satisfies the customer need for clean solutions, saves our planet’s natural resources and lowers operating costs. In terms of tableware management, there is nothing better than energy-saving commercial dishwashers.
And learn more about the ecologically and economically sensible M-iQ from MEIKO.
