Saving energy in the kitchen is vital, says Space Catering Equipment

Space will help any operator planning a new kitchen – whether starting from scratch or simply refurbishing existing facilities – to identify and build in equipment or design features which use less energy and are better for the environment. On every new drawing produced by Space, the 'green footprint' will be used to highlight any equipment that is particularly energy efficient or environmentally friendly. As well as resulting in lower energy costs and reducing carbon footprint, many of these items also qualify for Enhanced Capital Allowances for tax purposes, a further advantage for the operator. The scheme works by identifying at design stage any equipment on kitchen, bar and servery plans that has an energy saving value. A bold green footprint on the drawing highlights products that will save energy and which additionally are on the Enhanced Capital Allowance (ECA) list; under this government scheme, operators can offset the cost of buying energy-saving equipment against their taxable profits for the year. It offers a practical way of building in energy-saving equipment and features to all types of commercial kitchen, no matter what their size. Mike Mellor, managing director of Space explained that wastage can be easily avoided: "Look inside a typical operator's kitchen and you'll probably see quite a few areas where energy is wasted, which, with a bit of thought and some simple planning, could easily be avoided." He continued: "Choosing the right equipment in the first place, and where to put it on your premises, can both make a big difference to how much energy your kitchen consumes, and how green your operation is. And whilst there are some big electricity and gas guzzling areas, like cooking, refrigeration and dishwashing, there are also some less obvious ones to think about when deciding what you need in your kitchen." "We talk to a lot of operators who want to do more to cut their energy consumption but who find it difficult to balance environmental concerns with the daily pressures of running their kitchen," continued Mellor. "Coupled with Space's project management services, the Green Footprint scheme makes it easy to incorporate energy-efficient items into the initial kitchen design, as well as enabling increased capital costs to be recovered more quickly." In one recent example for a large brewery, Space was able to prove payback for a dishwasher in just 14 months. Given that the machine was only just over £6000 and not a lot more expensive than an inferior model, this is an impressive statistic. Specialists like Space can advise on finding the right energy saving machine and help prevent quick decisions made on purchase price alone.