Kia Oval: Cutting Kitchen Ventilation Energy Consumption by 62.77%

- Annual fan energy consumption reduced by 71,576.28 kWh
- 62.77% reduction in fan energy consumption
- Annual energy cost savings of £14,279.47
- 16 tonnes of CO₂ saved annually
- ROI reduced from the projected 43 months to 39 months

The Kia Oval in Kennington has been home to Surrey County Cricket Club since 1845 and is one of the world's most historic sporting venues. Behind the scenes, its seven commercial kitchens support large-scale food service across match days and events, with a range of professional cooking equipment operating for an average of 11 hours per day.

With significant energy required to operate the kitchen ventilation systems, Surrey County Cricket Club's sustainability team wanted to identify opportunities to reduce consumption without compromising kitchen performance. With Quintex's long-standing experience in commercial kitchen energy efficiency, Cheetah Demand Control Kitchen Ventilation (DCKV) was identified as the ideal solution.

The Challenge

The Kia Oval operates seven commercial kitchens, each containing one or two canopy hoods and operating at varying times throughout the day.

Across the site, eight extract fans ranging from 4 kW to 7.5 kW were operating at maximum settings of approximately 45–50 Hz. Combined, the fans were consuming just over 116,000 kWh of electricity each year, representing an annual cost of £23,142, based on an electricity rate of 19.95p/kWh.

Running the ventilation systems at these speeds regardless of actual cooking demand meant significant amounts of energy were being used unnecessarily.

DW/172 guidance also advises that Demand Control Kitchen Ventilation should be strongly considered where total extract airflow exceeds 2.5 m³/s. Each of the extract systems at the Kia Oval exceeded this threshold, further strengthening the case for DCKV.

The Solution

Quintex carried out a full survey of the commercial kitchens to establish existing energy consumption and calculate the potential savings available through the installation of Cheetah Demand Control Kitchen Ventilation.

Cheetah controls both the kitchen extract and supply AHU fans, automatically adjusting fan speeds between predetermined minimum and maximum settings depending on real-time cooking activity.

Temperature sensors gradually increase fan speeds as heat levels rise, while optical sensors positioned on either side of the canopy detect steam or smoke and immediately increase ventilation when required.

Once the cooking activity, steam or smoke has reduced, Cheetah automatically lowers the fan speeds again.
This ensures the kitchen receives full ventilation when it is needed, rather than operating continuously at maximum speed. Cheetah can achieve reductions of up to 80% in fan energy usage depending on the application.

Following the site survey, Quintex projected that Cheetah could reduce annual fan consumption to 50,954.10 kWh, saving:
- 65,088.03 kWh per year
- £12,985.06 per year
- 14.6 tonnes of CO₂ per year

The projected return on investment was 43 months.

Following a review of the figures with the client, the project was approved and installation was scheduled.

The Results

Because the Kia Oval's kitchens operate late into the evening, Quintex scheduled installation works overnight to avoid disruption to day-to-day operations.

Each system took approximately one to two nights to install, followed by a handover the next day.
Once operational, Cheetah delivered savings that exceeded the original projections.

Annual savings achieved were:
- £14,279.47
- 71,576.28 kWh
- 62.77% reduction in fan consumption
- 16 tonnes of CO₂

The stronger-than-expected performance reduced the project's return on investment from the projected 43 months to 39 months.

Key Benefits

Cheetah enabled the Kia Oval to significantly reduce the energy required to ventilate its seven commercial kitchens while maintaining the airflow required during periods of active cooking.

Rather than running eight extract fans continuously at close to maximum speed, ventilation now responds automatically to actual kitchen demand.

The result is a 62.77% reduction in fan energy consumption, more than £14,000 in annual cost savings and a reduction of 16 tonnes of CO₂ every year.

For a large sporting venue with kitchens operating for long periods and experiencing significant changes in demand throughout the day, the project demonstrates how Demand Control Kitchen Ventilation can reduce both operational costs and carbon emissions without compromising kitchen performance.