The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and its Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) have released a technical report that provides recommendations on how to achieve up to 50-percent energy savings in quick-service restaurants. PNNL, with help from industry collaborators and under the direction of the DOE's Building Technologies Program, performed the research, analysis, and documentation that support the DOE's goal of significantly improving the energy efficiency of new and existing commercial buildings across the United States.

“Technical Support Document: 50% Energy Savings for Quick-Service Restaurants” details a package of energy-efficiency measures that cut energy use in quick-service restaurants by up to 50 percent compared with a baseline standard in less than five years. The 50-percent goal involves reducing site energy usage in the eight U.S. climate zones, relative to buildings constructed to meet minimal code-compliant requirements of ANSI/ASHRAE/IESNA Standard 90.1-2004, Energy Standard for Buildings Except Low-Rise Residential Buildings.

The report will provide the basis for the next series of Advanced Energy Design Guides (AEDGs), which are guides that show architects, engineers, and building designers how to achieve above-code energy performance for buildings using existing technologies. The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) works in collaboration with the DOE, the American Institute of Architects, the Illuminating Engineering Society, and the U.S. Green Building Council to develop and publish AEDGs, which are available for free public download on ASHRAE’s Website.

Additionally, the results of these studies will be shared with DOE's Commercial Building Energy Alliances and the Commercial Building Partnerships. These groups are public-private collaborations that aim to develop energy-efficient technologies and practices and share the information with commercial-building owners and operators around the United States.