ATLANTA — Arby’s Restaurant Group Inc. (ARG), franchisor of the quick-service sandwich chain with nearly 3,400 restaurants worldwide, announced energy reduction savings as part of its company-wide sustainability efforts. ARG achieved a 7.6 percent reduction in energy use intensity (a unit of measurement for analyzing a building’s energy use) as a result of a variety of energy initiatives implemented in 2013 as part of its Efficiency Matters program. Efficiency Matters is a cost-saving energy management platform developed to help improve efficiencies in restaurants and reduce energy consumption and associated environmental and community impacts.

“ARG is committed to the reduction of energy usage within our restaurants,” said George Condos, ARG president and chief operating officer. “As a brand, we strive to continuously improve our performance and work towards energy-efficient best practices where cost-effective. Managing energy as a controllable expense gives Arby’s a competitive advantage, improves the bottom line, and helps us to be responsible corporate citizens. In short, efficiency matters.”

In 2013-2014, ARG focused on eight key energy initiatives, including:

• Implemented a new on/off schedule.

• Adjusted hot water heater controls.

• Installed aerators on hand sinks.

• Installed low-flow spray valves in sanitizing sinks.

• Converted evaporators of walk-in cooler boxes to electronically commutated motors.

• Installed strip curtains in the same walk-in cooler boxes.

• Converted outdoor HID lights to LED lights.

• Introduced a new enterprise energy and asset management system, Powerhouse Dynamic’s SiteSage (formally eMonitor).

ARG said its energy efficiency partners, including Ecova and Powerhouse Dynamics, have been instrumental in helping the Arby’s brand realize its energy and cost savings. ARG has set a goal of achieving 15 percent energy use intensity reduction by 2015 in company-owned restaurants (vs. a 2011 baseline) and plans to achieve it by:

• Considering energy efficiency in all operations and decision-making processes.

• Creating a culture that drives continual improvement in energy performance, improves productivity, and reduces environmental impacts through regular review of current activities.

• Procuring equipment in the most energy-efficient and cost-effective manner.

• Ensuring all levels of the organization share responsibility in the implementation of this goal.

For more information, visit www.arbys.com.

Publication date: 7/28/2014

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