Energy Analysis, Building Energy Index and Energy Management Strategies for Fast-Food Restaurants in Malaysia

Abstract

Commercial buildings in Malaysia contribute to 35% of the total electricity demand. During the recent COVID-19 pandemic, the global economy faced a challenging situation that forced many businesses to shut down. However, fast-food restaurants with drive-through features managed to get through this pandemic phase without much effect from the economic impact. Since COVID-19, the operational guidelines have changed for restaurants. However, from an energy perspective, fast–food restaurants are high energy consumers in the retail sector. This paper analyses the load profile of fast-food restaurants and the potential strategies that can be adopted in a free-standing fast-food restaurant. From analysis, it is calculated that a total of RM 97,365.9 of utility savings can be obtained in a year. A total of 91,392.1 kg CO2, 881.8 kg SO2 and 385.5 kg CO pollutant emissions can be reduced. The BEI for the restaurant was reduced to 856.4 kWh/m2/year. By converting to energy-saving strategies, the return on investment was 27.3% and 3.7 years, which is a very short period of time and is attractive for businesses of this nature.

Energy Consumption, Energy Analysis, and Solar Energy Integration for Commercial Building Restaurants

“…Food, being fundamental to life, has led to a rising demand for restaurants, paralleling the growth of the global population [2]. The proliferation of easily accessible restaurants has become a noteworthy trend in recent times [24][25][26].…”

“…Nowadays, restaurants can be found in various commercial settings, including shopping malls, shopfronts, transport hubs, and gas station alliances, and as standalone entities. Due to the extensive use of thermal energy required for cooking and maintaining hygienic food preparation standards, these establishments have high energy consumption rates [2]. One promising solution to mitigate this consumption is the adoption of solar energy.…”

“…Multiple BEI formulas have been established globally. The following established formula will be used to suit the needs of the analyzed building, based on the Malaysian scenario [2,19,32].…”

“…The rapid urbanization of the 21st century has brought with it a surge in commercial infrastructure [1]. Among these, restaurants, with their extended operating hours and specific energy needs, stand out as significant consumers of energy [2]. However, despite their substantial footprint, energy consumption in restaurants often goes unchecked or under-optimized.…”

How many trees are required to offset the CO2 emissions from building operations? A case study of energy efficiency initiatives in Wisma R&D, Universiti Malaya building

“…Many programs are currently focusing more on EE because there is currently a very high level of awareness of the importance of energy conservation. As building has been one of the sectors that recorded high energy consumption globally [10][11][12] [13], EE-based solutions in buildings have been the subject of numerous case studies. For instance, [14] predicted that in 2050, energy-saving appliances can save Thailand 15.5% and Indonesia 27.6% of energy.…”