Serving Up Savings at Union Kitchen
Working with the DCSEU, Union Kitchen saved thousands of dollars. The result: happier chefs, lower energy bills for years to come, and a trusted partner to turn to for future energy decisions.
You hear about energy inefficiency, but you’re not sure about what you can do to fix it. DCSEU staff helped us understand how to save a lot of money and electricity.
Union Kitchen, a food incubator business and industrial kitchen located in an updated warehouse just behind Union Station, provides a collaborative food preparation space for more than 40 culinary entrepreneurs. Cullen Gilchrist and Jonas Singer, co-owners of Union Kitchen, approached the DCSEU to learn how they could make their operations more energy efficient. The kitchen’s 14 ovens, 4 industrial refrigerator and freezer units, lighting, and HVAC units run for long hours at all times of the day and night. The resulting energy costs? High. Through a site visit and walk-through evaluation, the DCSEU identified many opportunities for energy improvements. The DCSEU created an energy management plan for the space, using the customer’s goals and findings from the site visit. Union Kitchen received $2,000 in Business Energy Rebates for energy-efficient gas and electric kitchen equipment that will reduce their annual energy use by 60 Mcf and nearly 6,800 kWh. The new equipment not only will reduce the energy use of their operations, but also help keep costs down for their members.
