Written and published November 2013 by Olivia Engel, Green Dining Alliance Program Coordinator
Restaurants often ask about the cost and benefits of purchasing more expensive energy efficient lighting and appliances. Although a smaller gas or electric bill is guaranteed, it’s still hard for many restaurants to make the commitment.
To help outline the exact savings and return on investment, the GDA has just launched a case study project with Ameren’s ActOnEnergy program and The Wolf in Ballwin, MO.
We’ll be tracking costs as The Wolf, a 4-star certified member of the GDA, switches over from conventional incandescent bulbs to energy efficient options like LEDs and CFLs, plus the money they’ll save with rebates from ActOnEnergy.
In October, The Wolf underwent a lighting-specific audit with the GDA and a representative from Ameren. Metal-wrought chandeliers with eight bulbs add to The Wolf’s unique feel, but owner Bob Biribin admits to “constantly” replacing their bulbs. “My other part-time job is changing light bulbs,” he joked the full-time owner who also cooks, manages, and runs food at the restaurant.
Based on the wattage of the bulbs, and not including the rate and cost of frequent bulb replacement, Biribin is spending $238 a year to power each chandelier. To purchase long-lasting, energy-saving bulbs without incentives or rebates would cost $120; however, through ActOnEnergy, the new bulbs would cost only $32 total. And – here’s the real kicker – the switch to LEDs would bring each chandelier’s energy usage down to just $36 a year, instead of $238. That’s a huge difference, one that The Wolf’s budget will continue to appreciate each month.
Over the next 3 months, Biribin will be switching out his old bulbs for energy efficient ones, receiving rebates, and keeping track of the expenses and the number of times he is forced to climb up the ladder to change a burn-out. For the following 3 months, the GDA will collect data from The Wolf’s electricity bills to compare with last year’s usage from the same period.
Stay tuned for more updates on the case study project, and similar efforts to track the true costs and benefits of energy efficiency in St. Louis restaurants.
The ActOnEnergy BizSavers options for commercial properties through include everything from rebates by the kilowatt hour of energy saved for lighting system redesign in schools to possible incentives through Retro-Commissioning projects like building control systems.
