Commercial kitchens are one of the highest energy consumers in buildings.

According to Energy Star, commercial kitchens use approximately 250,000 Btu/sq.ft, two and a half times more energy per square foot than commercial buildings without kitchens. As much as 80 percent of the $10 billion annual energy bill for commercial kitchens is wasted due to inefficient equipment (estimate from Pacific Gas and Electric’s Food Service Technology Center).

Food Service Warehouse estimates that a typical food service establishment, completely equipped with energy-efficient equipment, can use 25% to 27% less energy than a kitchen outfitted with standard food service equipment.

“Restaurants that invest strategically in energy efficiency can cut utility costs between 10 to 30 percent without sacrificing service, quality, style or comfort-while making significant contributions to a cleaner environment.” -Kate Lewis, Sales and Marketing Manager for ENERGY STAR® Commercial Food Service Program.

To kick off their Certified Green Commercial Kitchen program, Food Service Warehouse will give away a green commercial kitchen worth up to $40,000 to one qualifying kitchen.

Food Service Warehouse has created an industry-leading certification program working towards helping commercial kitchens to handle the costs and intricacies of going green. Their Certified Green Commercial Kitchen program features educational resources and the industry’s only free certification process, earning credits towards LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification.

“Today’s commercial kitchens are being squeezed by high operating costs driven by energy prices and a reduction in discretionary spending by consumers. Our customers wanted a way to reduce their operating costs while becoming more ecologically responsible, which in turn would make their establishment more appealing to patrons. The program we developed allows our customers to achieve these goals, while putting them further down the path toward other types of certifications.” -Steve Kurtz, vice president at Food Service Warehouse

To enter your business for the giveaway, go to Go Green – Commercial Kitchen Giveaway. This giveaway is limited to commercial kitchens, so forward this post to your favorite restaurants!

I look for environmentally conscious businesses to patronize, and I’m not alone. According to a 2008 National Restaurant Association survey, almost 62% of diners said that they would prefer to eat at an environmentally friendly restaurant. The next time you go out to eat, ask them how green their kitchen is, and send them to Food Service Warehouse to enter the $40,000 Green Kitchen Giveaway!