Dishwashing in the typical restaurant consumes over two-thirds of the water used in that
establishment. Nearly one-half of the dishwashing water is dispensed through the pre-rinse spray
valve used to prepare dishware for the commercial dishwasher. Most pre-rinse spray valves sold
and installed in today's food service establishments are high-flow (3-gallons per minute and
more), inefficient valves. The market penetration of low-flow (1.6-gallons per minute and less),
efficient valves has not generally been significant in California.
The energy regulators and water industry combined their incentives to implement a direct install
program focused at transforming the market for pre-rinse spray valves. Approximately 16,900
efficient valves are being installed in California food service operations on a pilot basis through
this program. The success of the program in terms of water and energy savings and cost-effectiveness
will ultimately lead to a larger retrofit program directed at replacing 75,000 of the
100,000 installed valves in California.
The total potential energy savings from retrofitting 75,000 pre-rinse valves in California is 34
million therms per year, which would save food service operators an estimated $17 million
dollars in operating costs. The total annual water savings is estimated at 6.8 million ccf, or
15,500 acre-feet (19 million cubic meters). Includes tables, figures, appendices.
| Edition : | Vol. - No. |
| File Size : | 1
file
, 820 KB |
| Note : | This product is unavailable in Ukraine, Russia, Belarus |
| Number of Pages : | 14 |
| Published : | 06/15/2003 |
