Winner, Energy Manager Today Top Project of the Year
case study
Bertucci’s, a Massachusetts-based operator of 89 Italian restaurants, decided to invest in the Open Kitchen energy and asset management system to reduce energy costs and ensure guest comfort across the chain. The company chose Open Kitchen because of the product’s unique capabilities and its successful record of reducing customers’ energy and equipment maintenance expenses.
Kevin Bakas
VP of Construction, Bertucci’s
Bertucci’s, a Massachusetts-based operator of 89 Italian restaurants, faced escalating energy costs and sought to enhance guest comfort across its locations. The company lacked centralized monitoring and control over HVAC systems, had no analytics to identify underperforming equipment, and needed better food safety alerts for refrigeration units. Additionally, there was a need for enterprise-level benchmarking of facilities and tools to reduce off-hours energy consumption.
Bertucci’s was particularly interested in:
Open Kitchen monitors the energy use of each HVAC unit at the breaker panel, as well as monitoring temperatures in supply and return air ducts. Algorithms immediately detect and alert managers to HVAC equipment issues including short-cycling compressors or non-functioning economizers. Thermostats are remotely controlled through the online interface and mobile app. This allows managers both insight and control over HVAC equipment across all installed locations.
The system also monitors the temperatures of refrigeration and freezer units to make sure food is stored at proper temperatures. Alerts are generated when temperatures approach or exceed food safety limits in order for corrective action to be taken before product quality is compromised. Alerts can also identify refrigeration equipment in need of maintenance, avoiding costly equipment failure.
Store and regional managers receive a weekly email report that highlights off-hours energy consumption and ranks stores by the savings they’ve achieved. The report identifies the most effective options for minimizing energy consumption when no one is in the store and helps each location protect its profits.
Based on 11 months of data through June 2014, the original pilot sites saw decreases of over 12% in electricity costs and over 9% in gas expenditures compared to 6 control locations that did not have the system. Electricity savings are likely to be even higher during the summer months. The most efficient location achieved an 8% reduction in electricity costs and a 9% reduction in gas expenditures, proving Open Kitchen able to reduce energy costs even in highly efficient buildings. These results were even better than the projected 12 month payback for the system based on energy savings alone – additional savings resulted from improved equipment maintenance due to enhanced intelligence.
Based on documented results to date, a rollout across the entire restaurant group is projected to save at least $600,000 per year in total. Bertucci’s is now working with Powerhouse Dynamics to plan the broader product deployment.
23% energy consumption reduction
ROI within the 1st year of use
195 locations across the US and Canada
Reduction of expenditures by $215,000 per year
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