How Can Restaurants Benefit From IoT-Enabled Energy Management?

The restaurant business is mainly known for offering lip-smacking food and a great dining experience. But, today’s modern restaurants also want to ensure better occupant comfort, ease of the process, cost-effective services, and most importantly, efficient energy management. It’s possible only when they are equipped with efficient manpower and innovative technology. 

Heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and powering equipment consume massive amounts of energy in restaurants. It represents 3-5% of total operating expenditure. Even a slight improvement in building efficiency can make a significant difference in the overall energy consumption of restaurant companies. 

Today, restaurant managers struggle to get insight into what’s actually consuming energy in their buildings. Neither they are able to anticipate when to conduct a maintenance check of critical equipment or identify the specific source of energy waste. 

Internet of Things to the rescue! 

The Internet of Things (IoT) is a powerful technology that comes with smart building capabilities to dramatically enhance the ability of restaurant managers to manage energy consumption and reduce costs. It offers Energy Management Solution (EMS) that utilizes intelligent assets to collect, analyze and share data on how a restaurant consumes gas, electricity, oil, and water. 

Based on the gathered information, restaurant managers can easily implement measures for efficient and smarter resource utilization.

Deploy an energy management system in restaurants for efficient energy consumption 

The restaurant business also faces a lot of challenges today such as food spoilage, inefficient temperature monitoring, ineffective operations, negative customer experience, and especially, inefficient energy management. 

The smart Internet of Things (IoT) technology can solve these loopholes in the restaurant industry. It enhances and largely automates the basic energy management practices of buildings. 

By giving rise to EMS, it allows facility operators to leverage data collection and analysis to optimize kitchen practices and enhance the customer experience. Installation of smart and connected devices in the restaurant building ensures continual improvement, feedback, and refinement of the operations. 

Here are some of the ways how IoT Powered automation benefits the restaurant industry: 

• Energy savings 

Reduce energy consumption by 10%-20% through automated energy monitoring system & control of equipment, scheduling operational hours, and analyzing power factors. 

• Reduced equipment breakdown

Minimize the chances of unpredictable breakdowns by around 25%-30% through monitoring asset health, AI/ML-based predictive maintenance, & reporting voltage/ current imbalances. 

• Occupant comfort 

Improve 30%-60% customer comfort, and store ambiance by efficient monitoring & control of store temperature, humidity, etc. 

• Centralized visibility 

Remotely monitor and control the energy consumption, asset health, safety compliance, etc. of critical equipment spread across multiple locations of restaurants. 

• Safety of perishable goods 

20%-30% reduction in spoilage of perishable products by automated monitoring & control of storage equipment to provide ideal indoor temperature & humidity for safe food storage. 

Considering these impressive benefits of IoT-based energy management solutions, restaurants must leverage this technology to intelligently ensure optimal operations and efficient energy management. 

Things to keep in mind while implementing EMS in restaurants 

In the restaurant industry, energy savings can make the IoT “real” and allow success to be measured in terms of incremental steps. 

When implementing an EMS strategy, restaurant managers must keep the interconnectivity point of view in consideration. It must accommodate a wide range of standards and protocols. Due diligence should focus on the ability to integrate multiple devices with the least complexity, customization, or third-party intervention. The priority should be an agnostic approach that doesn’t require a lock-in with a particular platform or solution. 

Final thoughts! 

The Internet of Things (IoT) is benefitting several industries already. It’s time that the restaurant sector should also leverage this powerful technology to ensure energy efficiency in everyday operations. 

Restaurants will start getting the benefits of IoT as soon as they implement this technology in their operations. Zenatix is the leading IoT solution provider that offers these smart technology to its clients operating in varied sectors. 

Do you want to ensure efficient energy management in your restaurant? Reach out to us today! Our professional and expert team will give you complete information about IoT technology, its requirements, and everything you need to know about it.