Professional Foodservice Equipment: why standardisation is important
In December 2022, we launched the new Professional Foodservice Equipment technology on the Energy Technology List, a significant milestone in the journey towards making energy efficient equipment accessible for a large and far-reaching sector.
Read on to find out more about its significance, why standardisation in this sector is important, and to hear our latest developments.
The landscape
The launch of the PFSE technology category represents a huge step towards standardisation in a largely unregulated sector – it's the first energy efficiency product performance benchmark the UK foodservice industry has seen.
Aside from refrigerated storage cabinets, there are no Minimum Energy Performance Standards (MEPs) and no mandatory energy labelling. Plus, issues such as rising energy bills and the cost-of-living crisis are factors that the hospitality sector is not immune to. You can read more in this article from the Foodservice Equipment Journal’s website.
The impact of PFSE
Professional Foodservice Equipment is a widespread category, with many different installations and uses. This is to reflect the size and scope of the hospitality sector, with PFSE catering to different cuisines, cooking methods and purposes.
There are a range of product categories, from ovens to fryers to sous vide machines, as well as different sizes, capacities, uses and specialisations. The equipment tends to be particularly energy intensive and often in use for long periods, so switching to energy efficient versions creates the potential for significant energy savings to be made.
PFSE on the ETL
The PFSE technology category on the Energy Technology List currently features four sub-technologies of highly energy intensive products: Combination Steam Ovens, Convection Ovens, Undercounter Dishwashers and Hood-Type Dishwashers.
The introduction of the category followed extensive collaboration with multiple manufacturers to collect data and insight, carry out workshops, and share knowledge. The collaboration has meant working with teams across both the UK and Europe, as well as with the FEA and Chairs of FEA Product Group Forums.
In recent news, the scheme has welcomed RATIONAL UK’s listing of Combination Steam Ovens. Their addition to the ETL marks a significant milestone as they are the scheme’s first independently verified PFSE equipment.
A look to the future
There’s plenty of potential to increase the number of sub-technologies featured in the ETL’s PFSE technology family. With that in mind, we are pleased to announce that both Hobs and Grills categories will be added to the ETL as part of the priorities from the 2022 Research Programme being implemented this summer.
If you’re a manufacturer of professional foodservice equipment, you can apply to have your products independently verified and accredited for energy efficient performance by the ETL for free.
Not only does ETL accreditation associate your products with industry best practices, but independent verification gives purchasers confidence that your products are energy efficient. Listing on the ETL also increases your market exposure to a wider audience.
For purchasers, the ETL can be seen as a ready-made procurement tool of independently verified and accredited energy efficient products. It’s free to purchase from, and has the potential to create significant energy savings for your business.
Find out more about the PFSE technology and its criteria on the ETL website.