TECHNOLOGY
“ Now, a typical response a business owner might offer here – which we’ ve encountered before – is that while this will cut your gas consumption, it will skyrocket your electricity bills. Some catering teams may also question how this may affect food prep and cooking. To answer both of these points, it’ s about adaptability.
“ Firstly, with regards to electric kitchens, there’ s a really positive example we saw recently where Ikoyi – a double Michelin star restaurant in London – made the switch to all-electric and the head chef has hugely praised all the subsequent benefits. Since doing this two years ago, they’ ve reduced their energy consumption and maintained the high quality of their food with more efficient and controllable cooking processes.
“ When it comes to increasing electricity bills, while there’ s no getting away from the fact that usage will go up, there are ways to offset this – and this is where solar can help.”
The benefits of solar for the hospitality sector
“ Speaking more generally about the industry, we believe there are three main benefits to investing in solar panels.
“ The first is that you can simply save on your energy costs. By producing and using your own electricity from a system on your roof or the spare land outside your buildings, you reduce the amount you need to buy from the grid.
“ The second is that you protect your business from future energy price increases. This is because your systems will continue to generate that same amount of electricity year after year for upwards of 25 years. You have essentially secured your energy price for that huge quantity of electricity across this length of time.
“ Lastly, there are huge emissions savings to be made. Today, consumers are much more environmentally aware and increasingly prefer to support responsible businesses- so what better way to demonstrate a commitment to sustainability?
“ We often get asked about the cost of an installation versus the benefits. So as a rule of thumb, after the first five to seven years of using solar panels, you will have paid for your installation, leaving your business free to generate more electricity and keep making savings.
“ Another common question is around how demand can be managed after dark. For many businesses, installing solar PV and reducing their daytime grid usage is enough of an incentive. However, there are operations where daytime usage is limited. That’ s when we would recommend integrating solar panels with battery storage, so energy generated in the day can be used during these peak nighttime periods.”
A smart investment
“ The way the hospitality industry should look at solar is to view it as an investment in sustainability and a strategic step to help safeguard energy security and long-term success.”
If you’ re looking to find out more about the benefits of solar or how your hospitality chain or business can become more sustainable, you can contact Geo Green Power here:
info @ geogreenpower. com + 44( 0) 800 988 3188 www. geogreenpower. com
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