by Brianna Crandall — April 29, 2011—The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is announcing a new category under commercial fryers that can now earn the Energy Star label. Effective April 22, 2011, EPA has expanded the scope of the eligible models to include large vat gas and electric fryers. Energy Star-qualified large vat fryers are 10-35 percent more energy efficient than standard models.
Fryers are one of the most common appliances in the food service industry, notes EPA. Large vat fryers are used in a variety of high-volume food establishments including fast food, grocery, retail, institutional and full-service restaurants. By using large vat electric and gas commercial fryers that have earned the Energy Star, businesses could reportedly save between $170 and $500 annually on utility bills.
In order to earn the Energy Star label under these new requirements, product performance must be certified by an EPA-recognized third party based on testing in an EPA-recognized lab. In addition, manufacturers of these products must participate in verification testing programs run by recognized certification bodies. If every large vat fryer in the U.S. met the new Energy Star requirements, energy cost savings would increase approximately $81 million per year and reduce annual greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to the emissions from nearly 95,000 cars, says EPA.
