Last year 1.2 million U.S. restaurants and food service facilities used more than 3 billion gallons of vegetable oil.
Utility and waste disposal costs account for a median of 2.3% to 3.6% of sales depending on the type of restaurant.
According to a 2007 survey by the National Restaurant Association, almost two-thirds of restaurateurs expect to invest in energy saving equipment in the coming year. Furthermore, consumers are willing to patronize restaurants that do so.
The answer maybe a direct purchase or lease of cogeneration system. If your food service operation generates 80 Gallons of waste vegetable oil per week, a cogeneration system can realize a complete Return On Investment (ROI) in as little as 2 years, or as fast as three years with only 50 gallons per week. The purchase price of a 5 KW Vegawatt™ cogeneration system is $22,000. Federal, State and local incentives and rebates vary but will reduce the purchase price considerably.
Projected Monthly Savings
| 80 Gallons per Week | Monthly | Annually |
| Electricity usage | $568 | $6,816 |
| Hot Water | $185 | $2,220 |
| Electricity demand charge | $50 | $600 |
| Renewable Energy Credits | $100 | $1,200 |
| ------ | ------ | |
| Total Savings | $850 | $10,836 |
| Note: The above numbers are based on Massachusetts electricity and natural gas rates. | ||
Find our more about the ROI from vegawatt.com