Restaurant Field Monitoring

Hot water is a critical resource in commercial kitchens, primarily used for sanitation purposes. Across 85,500 facilities, the estimated fuel gas demand for domestic hot water is 340 million therms per year ​(CalNext. 2023)​, making it a high-energy intensity end-use. Decarbonizing this sector is essential for achieving state-level greenhouse gas reduction goals. However, significant barriers exist, including added complexity of heat pumps for design, added installation complexity, space and electrical capacity limitations, high retrofit costs, potentially increased operating costs, and water heater sizing guidelines imposed by California health departments that lack heat-pump-specific guidance. This field demonstration project aimed to address these challenges by implementing and analyzing a heat pump assist water heating system in a full-service restaurant.