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Pathway to Net-Zero
Restaurants
A guide to help restaurants and businesses in the food sector to become greenhouse
gas pollution free
Zero Net Carbon!
6. Execute Other Strategies
5. Pursue Electrification
4. Adopt Renewable Energy
3. Implement Energy Efficiency
2. Engage & Communicate
1. Assess, Plan & Measure
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The Challenge
The United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the State of Colorado, Boulder County, and the City of Boulder have all set
greenhouse gas pollution reduction goals of 50% by 2030 and 90% by 2050. To avoid the worst impacts of the climate crisis, every organization
and individual must participate. The good news is that restaurants and businesses in the food sector are well positioned to be leaders in turning
this challenge into an opportunity.
This pathway demonstrates the steps that your restaurant or business in the food sector can take to become more energy efficient, save money,
and reduce your climate impact to zero. This pathway is a clear and simple way to understand where you are currently and what the major steps
are on the journey.
The Goal
The goal of the effort is for restaurants to take active and visible action in transitioning their facilities to have zero climate impact. A second goal is
to share work restaurants are doing to motivate and inspire other businesses to act, both locally and across the country.
The Vision
A significant number of restaurants have become inspired and empowered to take action that demonstrate the benefits of converting to efficient
lighting and equipment in addition to adding renewable energy. Many are also actively working with their own supply chain to inspire and
empower their stakeholders to take similar action. Through making these efforts highly visible, this leadership inspires a larger movement that
significantly accelerates the adoption of a sustainability lifestyle – first around energy, but also around other critical areas like food, use of
resources, and relationship to the natural world.
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Step 1: Assess, Measure & Plan
It is important to first understand what opportunities are appropriate for your business and what incentives are available. To determine success, you
need to benchmark your energy use and calculate greenhouse gas emissions, repeating this annually. Building from the opportunities identified and the
benchmarking data you can create a plan and set goals that drive your journey toward becoming a net zero business. Feel free to use the rest of the
action steps in this document to help inform your action plan
to addresses climate change
.
Assess Opportunities
Target Date
Person Responsible
Sign the climate action commitment
*
Engage with PACE to learn about resources, incentives and opportunities
*
Work with PACE and Xcel to complete building assessments
*
Review local sustainability ordinances and how they apply to your business
Identify electric conversion opportunities to pair with renewable energy
Evaluate renewable energy opportunities (such as solar PV, RECs, Community) to offset electric load
Determine budget and available financing options
Measure and Track
Target Date
Person Responsible
Establish a benchmarking process to measure energy use
*
Calculate annual greenhouse gas emissions
Ongoing
Continue to measure and track progress against goals
Plan
Target Date
Person Responsible
Develop the action plan (determine level of property owner commitment)
Evaluate cost/payback of each measure to help prioritize budget
Set tangible and actionable goals, and timeline
Ongoing
* Priority actions
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Step 2: Engage and Communicate
It is beneficial to begin engaging with your employees, customers and other stakeholders at the start of this process. However, you will need to
engage with all these groups throughout your journey to minimize barriers and maximize impact. Engaging with customers and employees is great for
business, many studies have shown that employees and customers both invest more in businesses that are value driven. Additionally, b
y publicizing and
sharing your success you can inspire others to support your action plan goals
.
Employee Engagement
Target Date
Person Responsible
Appoint an energy steward, champion and/or develop a green team
*
Create a forum for employees to share and suggest their ideas
Share goals and commitments with management and employees
Provide ongoing sustainability educational opportunities for your employees
Ongoing
Stakeholder Engagement
Target Date
Person Responsible
Engage with property owners to gauge interest
*
Present climate action plan to property owner to get buy in. Change lease if necessary
Create a green purchasing policy and distribute to your supply chain
Join industry specific groups to learn how peers are addressing sustainability
Ongoing
Participate in sustainability leadership groups to better understand current trends
Ongoing
Communication and Recognition
Target Date
Person Responsible
Publish your climate action commitment on your website, in your restaurant, or other forum
*
Publish your goals on your website, in your restaurant, or other forum
Communicate your wins as they happen on your website, in your restaurant, or other forum
Ongoing
Become PACE Certified business
* Priority actions
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Step 3: Implement Energy Efficiency
The checklists of energy efficient measures below are an example of how you may list and prioritize measures according to your action plan. The first
section are actions that make sense to implement regardless of whether you own or lease your space as they have quick paybacks and/or enhance the
quality of your space. The second set of actions might require partnering with your property manager to implement if you lease your space.
Operational Projects
Target Date
Person Responsible
Identify what lighting temperatures, fixture and bulb types suit your space
*
Determine over lit areas and reduce unnecessary fixtures
*
Replace inefficient lighting with LED (Energy Star or DLC)
Install controls (daylight/occupancy sensing opportunities)
Inventory all kitchen equipment (log age and any Energy Star certifications)
Replace inefficient equipment with Energy Star
Service equipment keep refrigeration coils clean and free of dust
Ongoing
Weatherstrip drafty doors and windows
*
Adjust thermostat temperature setpoints and setbacks
Insulate ductwork and/or bring into condition space
Appropriate thermostat temperature setpoints
*
Replace faucet aerators and pre-rinse spray valves
Higher Capital Investment Projects
(done in partnership with property manager)
Target Date
Person Responsible
Replace inefficient lighting with LED (Energy Star or DLC)
Consider curfew controls and/or timers to reduce run-time
Add a building automation system.
Perform test & balance of air distribution system.
Air tightness testing to identify air leakage, durability issues.
Increase insulation R-Value in roof.
Invest in efficient windows or apply window film to mitigate solar heat gain
* Priority actions
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Step 4: Adopt Renewable Energy
The checklists of renewable actions below are an example of what you might include in your action plan. The first section looks at installing renewable
energy on your building and might require you to partner with your property manager to implement if you lease your space. The second section provides
alternative ways to purchase renewable energy if installing is not an option or if you cannot meet the load demands with self-generation.
Higher Capital Investment Project
(done in partnership with property manager)
Target Date
Person Responsible
Review incentives, financing and power purchasing agreement options
*
Get bids from several contractors
*
Install/Purchase Renewable Energy
Other Renewable Options
Target Date
Person Responsible
Investigate community solar opportunities
*
Invest in community solar
Investigate renewable energy credit opportunities
*
Invest in renewable energy credit
* Priority actions
Step 5: Pursue Electrification
The checklists below are an example of what you might include in your action plan. Electrification is a crucial step to becoming a net zero business, because
regardless of how efficient you are, or how much energy you are produce with renewables, if you continue to use natural gas to power heating and/or
equipment, you are still burning fossil fuel.
Electrification
Target Date
Person Responsible
Review incentives and financing
*
Convert from gas to efficient electric kitchen equipment
Convert from gas to efficient electric heating
Reduce distribution losses with tankless water heating
Install electric vehicle charging stations
* Priority actions
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Step 6: Execute Other Strategies
The impact you can have spans further than your buildings and the energy they consume. Below is a list of things you could consider adding to you plan
that begin to address the broader climate impact of your business. The scope of what you address may vary and you likely will add additional actions.
Other Emission Reduction Strategies
Target Date
Person Responsible
Transportation
Alternatives
Install bike racks to encourage staff and customer cycling
Identify ways to increase pedestrian friendly zones
Educate tenants/patrons on available transportation options
Landfill Waste
Diversion
Develop a zero-waste program
Create a green purchasing policy and distribute to your supply chain
Develop a green cleaning policy
Efficient Water
Use
Use drip irrigation and native drought-tolerant plants
Conduct an outdoor irrigation assessment
Replace inefficient toilets with WaterSense-labeled models