News

Arby’s initiatives lead to 7.6% reduction in energy use

July 11, 2014

Arby's Restaurant Group announced it has achieved energy reduction savings as part of a company-wide initiative, as part of its corporate social responsibility strategy. With its efforts, Arby’s achieved a 7.6-percent reduction in Energy Use Intensity in 2013.

According to a news release, Energy Use Intensity is a unit of measurement for analyzing a building’s energy use. Arby’s reduction is the result of a variety of initiatives implemented last year for its Efficiency Matters program.

"ARG is committed to the reduction of energy usage within our restaurants," COO/President George Condos said in the release. "As a brand, we strive to continuously improve our performance and work towards energy-efficient best practices where cost-effective. Managing energy as a controllable expense gives Arby's a competitive advantage, improves the bottom line and helps us to be responsible corporate citizens. In short, efficiency matters."  

In 2013-2014, ARG focused on eight key energy initiatives, including:

• Implemented a new on/off schedule
• Adjusted hot water heater controls
• Installed aerators on hand sinks
• Installed low-flow spray valves in sanitizing sinks
• Converted evaporators of walk-in boxes (WIBs) to electronically commutated motors
• Installed strip curtains in the same WIBs
• Converted outdoor HID lights to LED lights
• Introduced a new asset management system; Powerhouse Dynamic's SiteSage (formally eMonitor).

Also, according to the release, between 2011 and 2013, the company made the following energy and resource savings:

• 90,247,788 kilowatt hours (kWh) in electricity
• 303,106 Therms (natural gas)
• 75,761 k-gals of water

The savings were achieved, in part, through restaurant upgrades, including a switch from neon to LED banding; T12 to T8 interior lighting; and HID to LED exterior lighting. Arby’s efforts are supported by partners Ecova and Powerhouse Dynamics.

The chain has set a goal of achieving 15-percent Energy Use Intensity reduction by 2015 in company-owned restaurants. It has put into place specific guidelines to do so, including:

1. Consider energy efficiency in all operations and decision-making processes.
2. Create a culture that drives continual improvement in energy performance, improves productivity and reduces environmental impacts through regular review of current activities.
3. Procure equipment in the most energy-efficient and cost-effective manner.
4. Ensure all levels of the organization share responsibility in the implementation of this goal.