Little information is available on how hot water is used in schools. This paper reports field test data on hot water and water heating energy use of a high school cafeteria kitchen. Objectives were to obtain hot water and energy use information and to investigate potential energy efficiency improvements both analytically and experimentally. To achieve these objectives, a suitable test site was located and the cafeteria kitchen gas-fired hot water recirculation loop was instrumented and monitored. Performance of the system was monitored for several months in the as-found condition, with the hot water recirculation-loop pump running continuously. Subsequently, timer control of the recirculation-loop pump was implemented in order to reduce energy consumption, and monitoring was continued for the remainder of the 12-month test period. The configurations were then analyzed as if each had been operating for the entire 12 months, using the actual temperatures and amounts of hot water consumed as observed each day. Several additional improved configurations were also investigated analytically. Energy consumption, overall delivered efficiency, and energy savings were computed on a 12-month basis for the various configurations and the results presented here.

Units: Dual