Environmental Innovations

The TurboChef by ALKAR has proven power and water savings while increasing throughput for a Middleby food processing customer making bacon bits.

The customer had several challenges to address. With limited space, they had a production goal of 1,500 pounds of bacon bits per hour but their infrastructure did not support the added 500kW of electrical energy required to meet this goal. Also, the fact that five gallons of water per minute was needed to keep the microwave generators cool and running was an additional issue.

The TurboChef by ALKAR innovation developed with technology from commercial brand TurboChef for the industrial environment was the ideal solution for this customer. The equipment maximized use of available space. Using the innovative TurboChef by ALKAR oven, the customer was able to meet their goals of accelerating throughput while decreasing power and water usage. The customer reported a usage of 75% – 80% less electrical power to support this production capacity while cooling wastewater usage decreased by more than 50%. Additionally, the TurboChef by ALKAR integrated with the customer’s grease capture system enabling the recycling of product grease.

For comparison, the TurboChef by ALKAR uses 16kW of microwave energy for the oven, combined with convection heat and steam. The operating costs required to operate all these systems is under $1,000.00 a day. A standard microwave line uses 500kW to produce the same volume, and the electrical consumption costs is at least threefold. This is a 75-80% energy usage decrease. It also does not require special power from outside of the plant to run, as many systems do. There is no extra substation for power generation is needed.

Water saving can be calculated when comparing the advanced technology Middleby has developed to the industry standard. A traditional single microwave line would need 5 (gallons of water) x 60 (minutes) x 16 (hours) x 5 (generators) which equals 240,000 gallons of water weekly. ALKAR saves customers well over 80,000 gallons of wastewater a week or more than 4 million gallons of water annually.

While the TurboChef by ALKAR saves operators energy and water, it also produces a superior quality product by controlling yield using convection heat, steam and microwave energy. The yield control allows the customer to sell more product from the same green weight.

To produce 1,725 pounds of cooked bacon bits, 4,500 pounds of raw bacon needs to be processed. Using non-Middleby equipment, a line produces 1,440 pounds with the same raw material.  With TurboChef by ALKAR, this customer produces 22,000 pounds of sellable product a week with less waste.

Middleby is helping this customer and others achieve significant power and water savings while increasing yields through its technology.

The technologically-advanced Brava oven cooks with light and can heat an entire meal with less energy than it takes to preheat a conventional oven
Brava has saved customers from using 1,820,648 kWh of electricity. That’s enough energy saved to:

• power 1.82 million smartphones for a year
• power 25,000 laptops for a year
• wash 790,000 loads of clothes in washing machine
• power 45,000 Nissan Leaf batteries

Brava refurbishes and sells returned units to minimize landfill usage and maximize return on carbon footprint from oven production

Marvel Awarded the ENERGY STAR® Most Efficient Mark in 2021

Three Marvel Professional products were recognized as the Most Efficient of ENERGY STAR® in 2021. These products prevent greenhouse gas emissions by meeting rigorous energy efficiency performance levels set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

We take great strides to be environmentally responsible, both in our day-to-day manufacturing processes and the ENERGY STAR® products we offer. We use climate-friendly, energy-efficient, non-HFC foam insulation and R600A refrigerant. And we continuously strive to further reduce our impact on the environment. Each year, for example, our Marvel Refrigeration manufacturing facility recycles over one million pounds of material. With streamlined manufacturing and material efficiencies to ensure the best use of natural resources, Marvel works to create a greener environment. Visit marvelrefrigeration.com to learn more.

We take pride in leading the industry often years ahead of governmental agency and energy requirement mandates, working closely with various domestic and global agencies such as DOE and AHAM to establish energy standards. Explore our wide range of ENERGY STAR Certified products at energystar.gov. From our interior liners made of recycled material to using environmentally friendly R600a refrigerant and non-HFC foam insulation in our products, we strive to create a greener planet for everyone! Learn more at u-line.com.

Environmental responsibility is an ongoing topic of conversation. Sustainable business operations continue the shift from a want to a need, with many restaurants and retailers exploring ways to go green. Sustainability strategies paired with energy-efficient tools like connected equipment help to protect the environment.

Making a commitment to sustainability isn’t only beneficial for the environment, it’s also good for business. Studies point to consumers supporting earthly initiatives with their wallets. Sustainability is more than than providing recyclable bags or going paperless. Companies see it as part of a larger strategy that includes environmental considerations across its entire supply chain and all business operations.

One way food service and retail organizations can become more sustainable is by using data from connected equipment to make their operations the most efficient and energy-saving as possible. Open Kitchen and SiteSage from Middleby brand Powerhouse Dynamics can support sustainability goals and drastically reduce an operation’s carbon footprint. Here are four ways connected equipment can make a business more sustainable.

1. Reduce energy consumption
Significant energy savings is achieved when equipment is connected, analyzed, and controlled using the power of the Internet-of-Things (IoT). Connected equipment reduces operating costs, ensures system uptime and product quality, and cuts energy and maintenance expenses.

Impact on the Earth: Emissions from power plants are reduced with reduced energy consumption, which conserves the Earth’s natural resources and protects ecosystems.

Impact on the business: Less money is spent on energy bills. For example, Open Kitchen and SiteSage reduce energy consumption by as much as 20 percent, or even more.

2. Preserve capital equipment

Connected equipment makes it possible to keep assets running at peak performance. When a business is able to shift from reactive to proactive servicing, equipment lasts longer, can be repaired and doesn’t run to failure.

Impact on the Earth: Fewer pieces of capital equipment end up in landfills, which protects the environment from harmful chemicals and metals.

Impact on the business: Money is saved with proactive equipment repairs instead of untimely and expensive replacement.

3. Reduce food waste

Smart kitchens ensure every piece of equipment is running optimally, and that food quality is upheld and maintained. Real-time access and insights into kitchen and equipment operations ultimately translates into less food thrown in the garbage.

Impact on the Earth: Methane emissions from landfills are reduced, plus the pollution generated from producing food and then hauling and landfilling food waste.

Impact on the business: Lower overall food costs — and the costs associated with food disposal are minimized.

4. Reduce water usage

Connected equipment can be used to monitor and reduce water usage. For example, Powerhouse Dynamics made it possible for fast food sandwich restaurant chain, Arby’s, to monitor the irrigation system at hundreds of its locations. This saves more than 7.4 million gallons of water each year, enough to fill more than 11 Olympic-sized swimming pools.

Impact on the Earth: Less water is diverted from rivers, bays and estuaries, which keeps the environment healthy. Water and wastewater treatment costs are also reduced, as well as the amount of energy used to treat, pump and heat water.

Impact on the business: Less money is spent on water and electricity bills.

Sustainability is becoming more and more essential for food service and retail organizations everywhere. Developing environmentally conscious business strategies is one way to make a positive impact on the Earth, as well as customers.