We recently took a tour at PG&E’s Food Service Technology Center (FSTC). FSTC provides energy efficiency services to commercial kitchens and utilities. Keep reading to learn more about their education services, what they do, and how they are helping to make kitchens more efficient.

TSV: Tell us more about Fishnick and the Food Service Technology Center. What goes on here and how can this partnership with PG&E help small businesses?

TB: Fisher-Nickel, Inc. manages the Food Service Technology Center (FSTC) in San Ramon under contract with PG&E. The Center is one of three utility energy centers, along with those located in San Francisco and Stockton. The FSTC offers educational programs as well as energy efficiency services to utility customers and commercial food service industry stakeholders. Examples include appliance testing, energy audits, equipment demonstrations, new construction design assistance, development of utility appliance rebates, and onsite energy measurement of energy using systems.

TSV: When we visited the FSTC, we saw some interesting studies going on, including standby options for espresso machines, “vent-less” hoods, and a dish-room study. What else are you studying and how will these improvements change the restaurant environment of the future?

TB: The type of appliances that we are testing in the FSTC lab, or studying in actual commercial food service operations, changes constantly. The rack oven, fryer, or broiler you might find in the lab is here because the manufacturer is trying to qualify it for Energy Star or a utility rebate, or the end user has requested that the manufacturer send it to us for testing to determine the appliance’s energy use. This desire to know the appliance “mpg” has drastically improved appliance energy efficiency, especially after the inception of Energy Star for commercial cooking applications in 2000.

With the advent of the California Energy Wise Rebate program offered by the four California investor-owned utilities (PG&E, SoCal Gas, SoCal Edison, and SDG&E) in 2006, a financial incentive was created to further encourage efficient appliances. The Energy Star label makes it easy for the restaurant operator to identify energy efficient equipment and the California Energy Wise rebate program makes it more financially attractive to purchase that equipment.

TSV: Are appliance users overcoming the cost factors of adopting more efficient technology?

TB: There have been notable success stories, like the work we have done with manufacturers who have developed value priced Energy Star and California Energy Wise rebate qualified fryers, which after the rebate, only cost $700. These are perfect for the small independent operator and will, on average, save them $500annually in natural gas costs.

For larger systems, such as multi-tank conveyor dish machines, manufacturers have been able to drastically reduce water consumption and have incorporated waste heat recovery technologies to further reduce energy use. While these new machines are quite expensive, our field studies have shown that installation of efficient models actually makes financial sense and the simple payback on investment can be less than two years.

TSV: What are your most popular workshops?

TB: Our most successful workshop this year addressed the challenges of transitioning from a food truck to a brick and mortar establishment. The goal of the workshop was to bring the attendees up to speed on what they could expect their utility costs to be and how to effectively manage those costs through proper equipment selection, operation, and maintenance.

On the more technical side, we had a well-attended seminar which looked at water efficiency in commercial food service operations. It was a blend of practical solutions, as well as review of a field monitoring project that we had conducted in the dish rooms at Google, Facebook, and Stanford University.

TSV: How have you been able to measure the impact of the center?

TB: The impact of the Center can be measured in multiple ways. You have the continued industry interest in the expansion of the Energy Star program, as well as the purchase of energy efficient appliances and equipment for which operators receive the California Energy Wise rebate. Also, much of the appliance testing has informed legislation, which governs state and national energy efficiency standards. There is also the measurable reduction of energy use, which can be observed on the restaurant operator’s utility bill.

Finally, our 30 years of supporting the industry and helping the utility customer reduce energy use speaks to the positive impact of the Center. If energy efficiency wasn’t of value to the many stakeholders we have touched, the FSTC program would have ended long ago.