Project Approach
In early 2008, Ecos created a resource consumption baseline, completed on-site audits, and conducted management interviews to gain an in-depth understanding of operational standards that impact water, energy and GHG emissions management at Burgerville restaurants.
Results
After completing an analysis of Burgerville restaurant operations and evaluating their environmental impacts, Ecos presented The Holland, Inc. with a list of solutions that, when implemented, will achieve the following results annually:
- Save 1,382,686 kilowatt hours of electricity
- Save 40,464 therms of natural gas
- Save 7,221 cubic feet of water
- Avoid 636 metric tons of GHG emissions
- Save $160,501 in utility bills
The solutions Ecos developed will realize additional indirect benefits, including heightened employee awareness and involvement, better air quality, and an enhanced sustainability story to communicate to customers.
Solutions Development
Ecos developed solutions for increasing water and energy efficiency across Burgerville restaurants based on our knowledge of industry-specific best practices, and the in-depth understanding of resource utilization garnered during the on-site visits. In the process of evaluating and prioritizing projects, Ecos detailed the financial cost and anticipated savings resulting from implementing each solution, as well as the anticipated environmental benefits and operational impact. We evaluated solutions using both financial and environmental metrics, including internal rate of return, simple payback, annual GHG emissions reduction, and annual water, electricity and natural gas savings. All recommended solutions will realize a positive return on investment within seven years.
Solutions included improvements in the following areas:
- Energy Management Control Systems
- On-site Renewable Energy Development
- Landscaping Improvements
- Appliance Upgrades
- Employee Education and Awareness Programs
- External Stakeholder Engagement
GHG Emissions Reduction
Ecos used guidelines established by the Environmental Protection Agency to translate the annual emissions reductions achieved through the project’s energy conservation solutions into more concrete examples. The annual reductions in Burgerville’s carbon footprint are equivalent to:
- Removing 249 passenger vehicles from the road
- Saving 154,029 gallons of gasoline
- Saving enough electricity to power 180 homes for one year
- Sequestering carbon from 34,795 tree seedlings grown for 10 years
- Avoiding GHG emissions by recycling 468 tons of waste instead of sending it to the landfill
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