Tony Sesenberger, restaurant owner - After reducing his energy bills by upgrading the refrigeration system at his restaurant, Tony Sesenberger is now considering retro-fitting the air conditioning.
During the lunchtime rush at his restaurant in Collingwood, Ont., Iron Skillet owner and chef Tony Sensenberger likes to stroll around the dining area and see how customers are enjoying his fare, which ranges from schnitzel to Cajun dishes. Until recently, that stroll was also a chance to get away from the kitchen.
"It's hot back there, largely due to the refrigerator," he says. "We're opening and closing the door all the time, making the condenser work constantly. We also have air conditioning out front and in the back, and 58 lights on all day long, but it's our refrigerator that really uses the energy."
The monthly electricity bills, ranging from $1,600 to more than $2,000, prompted the classically trained chef to turn to the Save on Energy program, offered by local hydro companies across Ontario. As a small business owner, Sensenberger found that he qualified for a business refrigeration incentive program that would cover nearly $2,400 of the cost of upgrades to his refrigerator.
"It was easy. I filled out this form. They asked me a couple of questions and told me I qualified," Sensenberger recalls. "They sent a guy over to do an assessment, and a week later everything we needed for the upgrade was sent over. A guy showed up, and bada bing, bada boom, it was done. And yes, it started reducing our energy consumption."
The improvements included installing new energy-efficient interior lights, as well as an insulating curtain to keep cold air inside the fridge when the door was opened, and upgrading the biggest energy offenders – the refrigerator fans. After replacing the old fan motor, which almost always ran around the clock, with a new, more efficient motor, the refrigerator's compressors and condensers were able to shut off for longer periods of time and use less electricity.
April Currey, director of customer insights and acquisition at Alectra Utilities – which delivers energy conservation programs for the local utility, Collus PowerStream Utility Services Corp. – points out that small businesses like the Iron Skillet can also take advantage of other Save on Energy programs.
"If a business makes a capital upgrade to a more energy-efficient option, they are eligible for incentives," she says. Some restaurant clients, for instance, can replace their exhaust fans with more energy-efficient models. "Not only do they save on operating costs, they lower the level of noise in their kitchen, which is a great benefit for staff."
As part of a continuing effort to save on its electricity bills, Currey suggests that the Iron Skillet could consider a retrofit of its air conditioning system next or it might qualify for the small business lighting program, which offers up to $2,000 in incentives for lighting upgrades.
According to the Save on Energy program, low-energy, long-lasting LED lights are up to 75 per cent more energy-efficient than conventional incandescent and fluorescent lighting, and an upgrade will often pay for itself in one to three years.
For Sensenberger, such potential savings are good news. "Anything I can save on my monthly utility bills goes into my pocket. I appreciate that."
This content was produced by The Globe and Mail's Globe Edge Content Studio, in consultation with an advertiser. The Globe's editorial department was not involved in its creation.