Tea & Fan x Cheerful Group x Hong Kong Green Building Council

Heat recovery energy-saving dishwasher replacement plan

Catering

Project Background

Cha Fan Catering Ltd. ("Cha Fan") is a local restaurant chain with approximately 100 seats per branch. The chain faces high operating costs, and dishwashers are among the most energy-intensive appliances in commercial kitchens. As a technical participant in the Hong Kong Green Building Council's Green Kitchen Renovation Guide, Cha Fan was commissioned by Cha Fan to implement a heat recovery dishwasher project and verify its energy-saving benefits.

Goals of the replacement program

Replace traditional equipment with Champion energy-saving dishwashers to reduce electricity and water consumption
– Traditional dishwashers consume an average of over 20,000 kWh of electricity per year, resulting in high operating costs
– Each dishwashing session uses an average of 2–2.5L of water, a serious waste of resources
Introducing smart energy monitoring tools
Quantifying the practical benefits of heat recovery technology in local catering scenarios
Support ESG reporting requirements and enhance transparency of environmental performance
– Commercial dishwashers in Hong Kong do not have energy labels, making it difficult to compare performance

Champion Group
Highlights of the replacement program

1. Replace traditional equipment with patented heat recovery dishwashers to reduce power and water consumption

Recover steam and waste heat inside the dishwasher
Increase the water inlet temperature from 25°C to 50–60°C
Finally heated to above 82℃ (completed by hot water boiler)
Reduce electricity required for heating and improve energy efficiency
Save water

Dishwasher Type	Water consumption per sieve
Traditional dishwasher	2–2.5L
CHAMPION Heat Recovery Dishwasher	1–1.5 L

2. Introducing smart energy monitoring tools for on-site installation, testing, and data collection

Wireless Installation
No need to change the power system
Real-time monitoring of dishwasher power consumption and recording of real-time energy data

3. Quantify the practical benefits of heat recovery technology in local catering scenarios

Field test of tea and food on-site operation data
Verify the effectiveness of the heat recovery system

4. Support ESG reporting requirements and enhance transparency of environmental performance

Provide energy usage data before and after equipment replacement to support ESG disclosure
Resolving the assessment difficulties of commercial dishwashers without energy labels in Hong Kong
Assist users to report energy-saving achievements to the company or stakeholders

Performance data

cost		Excellence in Energy Saving Performance
Total cost	HK$1,200/month	Total annual cost savings	HK$27,000 (HK$2,250/month)
Cost Details	Dishwasher rental HK$ 1,200/month	Annual cost savings breakdown	1. Energy savings per hour: 4.01 kWh
			2. Annual operating hours: 4,153.7 hours (11.38 hours/day × 365 days)
			3. Annual electricity savings: 16,656 kWh (4.01 kWh × 4,153.7 hours)
			4. Annual electricity savings: HK$$27,316 (16,656 kWh × HK$1.64)
			5. Annual carbon emissions reduction: 6,496 kg CO₂ (16,656 kWh × 0.39)
Payback period		Immediately (energy saving benefits have covered equipment rental)

Summarize

Chafan collaborated with Champion Group on a heat recovery dishwasher replacement project, successfully leveraging patented heat recovery technology and intelligent energy monitoring tools to achieve significant energy, carbon, and water savings. The entire project, which not only completed on-site testing and data collection at Chafan, was also included in the technical category of the Hong Kong Green Building Council's Green Kitchen Renovation Guide, meeting the Council's professional energy efficiency assessment standards. This project demonstrates a viable path for ESG practices in the local catering industry, generating high public confidence and immediate returns. It is a successful example of both technology-driven and third-party professional endorsement.