Economy is a prerequisite for running a catering business. Runaway energy prices have put operators in a tight spot. Everyone is striving to use the most economical solutions possible in the kitchen. Several key points can be mentioned. Electricity, gas, water consumption and many other factors can be reviewed to reduce costs by orders of magnitude. One of the basics of running a kitchen is the hoods and extractor hoods, which are a daily necessity on the cost side. Thanks to Coninvest kitchen technology, huge opportunities have become available in this area.
Improving air technology is essential
Air conditioning accounts for about half of the total kitchen electricity bill. The simple reason for this is that there are one or more high-powered fans in operation, and the exhaust air has to be replaced. In addition to cleaning, this air should be heated in winter and cooled in summer. This is very costly in energy terms. Everyone is sensitive to overheads and wants to make energy savings, and this is a crucial part of running a kitchen. If one of the biggest costs is running the air handling system, then it is quite obvious that we need to cut as much as possible. Coninvest's experts saw this when they visited a Dutch manufacturer's plant, where they saw the technology in action during a three-day factory visit. During the training sessions and presentations, they learned about the useful innovations in the field of air extraction this new system.
Photo by Coninvest Kitchen Technology
Why is it important to modernise air extraction?
The experience of Coninvest's experts is that by the time they have reached the kitchen design stage in a particular catering unit, the air technology itself has already run its course. It is only the building services engineer who can have an impact on this above all else. That's why they travelled to the Netherlands with a team of building services engineers, where they „discovered” one of the most innovative technologies on the market, through the eyes of several experts. Founded 43 years ago, Vianen is a specialist in kitchen ventilation technology, and it is no wonder that the company is the only company in the world that has been working in this field for so long. with the most professional solutions in the market, and even in the field of hoods, they have something new to show the industry and the world. Their latest patent-protected system, called VéTEC, is well ahead of what is now possible with current mainstream technologies.
Photo by Coninvest Kitchen Technology
Restaurant engineering still harbours potential
Vianen has been developing high quality kitchen technologies in ventilation systems for many years. The current economic situation has also made innovation in this field explosive. In recent years, they have created a system capable of making kitchens extremely economical to run. The point is that at the start of morning operation, after being switched on, all the extractor hoods start operating at about thirty percent. A the essence of its operation is, that each chute has an optical and a thermal sensor that receives signals from the cooking equipment below. These are humidity, smoke and temperature. The automatic system takes these into account and directs more extraction to where it is needed. The whole air handling system is controlled so that the chutes operate at 30 per cent efficiency in general operation, but where they are needed, they operate at higher efficiency. It also benefits the kitchen staff, as they only need to switch the system on once when they start work and it does the rest on its own.
Photo by Coninvest Kitchen Technology
The VéTEC system cuts energy costs in half
This technology therefore makes work in the kitchen easier, ensures proper airflow and reduces costs. Compared to conventional screens, the VéTEC system can save an overall 28-30 %. It also has the advantage of reducing energy consumption from the outset when designing the building services. It is important to note that converting existing systems to this technology is not an ideal solution. Rather, it can be considered in the design of new kitchens and incorporated at the planning stage.
If you are planning a new kitchen, it is recommended to install this system. The market has created a demand for such systems. Undoubtedly, it is much more expensive than the usual simple canopies, but on the operational side it can amply recoup its price. In figures, for a system of 5,000 m3/h, which is the equivalent of a small kitchen, the annual savings from such a solution are close to four million forints. The payback period is about two years. With the help of the Intelligent Monitoring System provided by the Victoria development, which can be integrated, the system can also provide remote monitoring functions. Thanks to this solution, it is possible to monitor the operation and current status of the ventilation system even from the telephone.
