Golden Corral eateries cut energy with E2America’s HVAC controls

Wilmington, N.C. -- Efficient Energy America (E2America) announced that Platinum Corral, a multi-state franchise operator of Golden Corral restaurants, has signed an agreement to install the supplier’s intelligent heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) control system in all 30 of its stores.



The automated, self-refining, wireless retrofit system will allow Platinum Corral to reduce both gas and electricity costs, usage and carbon emissions, the company said. Platinum Corral expects to lower its electricity costs by as much as $252,000, annually.



Platinum Corral’s previous energy initiatives included scheduled and preventative maintenance on HVAC compressors. But the company said it was not seeing significant savings, and was typically paying about $9,000 per store per month for gas and electricity.



Initially, the HVAC control system was installed in five Golden Corral restaurants whose electricity bills decreased by as much as $700 per store each month following the implementation.



"It took us a very short period of time to see the benefits in the five initial stores, and to realize how much more we could be saving by implementing E2America's system in all 30 of our restaurants,” said Billy Sewell, president of Platinum Corral. “What's more, managers in the first five stores have reported that the temperature consistently feels more balanced, and therefore much more comfortable for our staff and guests."



E2America worked with Platinum Corral's utility providers to ensure that the company was able to take advantage of incentive programs offered to businesses that implement energy efficiency measures. Platinum Corral expects to qualify for a $5,000 to $8,000 electricity company rebate per store for installing the E2America technology. Additionally, federal legislation changes regarding capital expenditures and accelerated depreciation allow Platinum Corral to write off 100% of the remaining balance on its 2011 tax returns. This reduces the effective ROI to less than eight months.