Lepido Featured on BBC News: Heat Recovery From Kitchen Fumes

Lepido by Enjay was featured in a BBC News article exploring heat recovery technology for commercial kitchens.

The article, "Why there is serious money in kitchen fumes," examines how restaurants are recovering energy from kitchen exhaust to cut heating costs and reduce emissions. BBC journalist Maddy Savage visited a Burger King in Malmö, Sweden, where Lepido has saved approximately $16,000 (£13,000) annually in heating bills.

The Technology

Lepido is a heat exchange system that captures energy from hot kitchen exhaust air and uses it to heat other areas of restaurant buildings. The technology addresses a key challenge: traditional heat exchangers struggle with grease and soot particles that stick to surfaces.

Lepido's design allows grease and soot particles to flow past the metal coils instead of sticking to them. The captured heat warms water that can then heat other parts of the building.

Results From Live Installations

Enjay co-founder Nils Lekeberg told BBC News that an average-sized restaurant using Lepido can cut heating bills by up to 90% per year and reduce annual carbon footprint by 30 tonnes.

The system has been installed in around 25 Burger King franchises across Sweden, Norway, and Denmark, plus school and hotel kitchens across the Nordics and Benelux region. UK trials are underway at Burger King Welwyn Garden City and Turtle Bay restaurants in Salford Quays and Birmingham.

Matt Manfield, Facilities Manager for Turtle Bay UK, told the BBC: "We were looking at ways in which we could reduce our costs and become more sustainable, and this was at the forefront of what we'd found."

Market Growth

Following the global energy crisis, Enjay reports a surge in requests from restaurateurs across Europe, Canada, and the US. In the first three months of 2023, enquiries were five times higher than the same period in 2022.

Professor Arne Speerfork from Hamburg University of Technology told the BBC that heat recovery from kitchen fumes could become a "solid market" if high energy prices persist: "The higher the energy prices become, the more interesting it is to invest even in technologies which are more expensive, for heat recovery."

Investment Considerations

The average cost of buying and installing Lepido is around $30,000 (£24,000). Enjay argues most businesses should recover this investment within one to two years through heating cost savings.

The BBC article notes this price point may be challenging for smaller independent restaurant owners, featuring Malmö restaurateur Orestis Georgiadis who is interested in the technology but would need bank financing or state support to afford it.

Quintex and Lepido

Quintex works with Enjay to supply and install Lepido heat recovery systems in the UK. The technology complements our Cheetah demand-controlled ventilation and Ecofix grease management systems - offering commercial kitchens a comprehensive approach to reducing energy costs and environmental impact.

Read the full BBC News article: Why there is serious money in kitchen fumes

Want to learn more about Lepido heat recovery?

Call 01189 739 310 or email sales@quintex.co.uk