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Wendy's partners with U.S. Department of Energy's Better Buildings Challenge

The Wendy's Company has joined the U.S. Department of Energy's Better Building Challenge with a commitment to reduce energy consumption in its U.S. company-owned restaurants by 20 percent per transaction by 2025.

February 2, 2016

The Wendy's Company has joined the U.S. Department of Energy's Better Building Challenge with a commitment to reduce energy consumption in its U.S. company-owned restaurants by 20 percent per transaction by 2025. The Better Buildings Challenge aims to make commercial, public, industrial and residential buildings 20 percent more energy efficient over the next decade, according to a company press release. This means saving hundreds of billions of dollars on energy bills, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and creating thousands of jobs.

"Our restaurant development team has worked for several years to help our restaurants use energy more efficiently, and to share our best practices with our franchise community," said Abigail Pringle, chief development officer for The Wendy's Company. "We are excited to make this public commitment with the Better Buildings Challenge and look forward to showcasing our progress in the future. Energy conservation makes good business sense, and it is a reflection of the responsibility we feel to be a good neighbor and steward of our environment."  

"Better Buildings partners demonstrate how powerful a public-private partnership dedicated to solving a specific problem can be," said U.S. Secretary of Energy Ernest Moniz. "Bringing energy efficiency to scale is a national priority. We applaud the dedication of our partners to come up with innovative solutions that advance our nation's ability to reduce carbon emissions, and spur economic savings in our businesses and communities."

Wendy's is an advocate of energy conservation and sustainability. Beginning this journey more than six years ago, the restaurant company built two LEED-certified restaurants, one in Bridgeton, Missouri, and the other in Atlanta, to gain learnings and explore the possibility of incorporating energy conservation efforts in new and existing restaurants. Further, the Thomas Building and Conference Center, constructed in 2012 and located on the campus of the Wendy's Restaurant Support Center in Dublin, Ohio, was awarded the LEED Silver certification in spring 2013 for designing and constructing a building to sustainable standards, including energy-efficient lighting and HVAC, and converting the parking lighting to LED, the release stated.  At more than 75,000 square feet in size, the building houses a 6,500-square-foot conference space, offices and the company's fitness center.

Over the past three years, Wendy's has reduced its energy use by implementing more than 1,100 individual energy upgrade projects at more than 550 restaurants. These projects include the installation of LED lights in the interior and exterior, upgrading HVAC systems and installing more efficient motors in walk in coolers. These actions have saved more than 13 million kilowatt hours (kWh) which, for comparison, translates into the amount of electricity to power nearly 1,200 average U.S. homes for a year.

In its home state of Ohio, the company implemented energy upgrades at nearly 30 Columbus-area restaurants and its Restaurant Support Center. Wendy's was also recognized by AEP Ohio for its commitment to energy efficiency in 2014, saving more than 1.2 million kWh or more than 1,000 tons of carbon dioxide annually, which is equivalent to taking nearly 200 cars off the road per year, according to the release.

Through Better Buildings, public and private sector organizations across the country are working together to share and replicate positive gains in energy efficiency.