ILLUSTRATION BY NICO HEINS
we don’t get the swings up and down, which traditional AC forces you to have because the system runs then it stops.” In addition, the new HVAC system is approximately half the size of the old unit. The new system also pulls mois- ture out of the air, according to Ferre- ra, which helps the store remain at a consistent humidity level. As a result, Ferrera said the bakery products are lasting longer and stay fresher. In addition to the heat pump tech- nology, Budderfly uses an energy re - covery ventilator approach, which sep- arately manages airflow. Starting next year, Subbloie hopes to roll out the heat pump-powered HVAC to somewhere between 25% and 80% of Budderfly’s customer base.
by splitting the energy savings with the restaurant. The idea, according to Subbloie, is making it easy to do the right thing. “One of the first things [operators] say is, ‘This is too good to be true. What's the catch on it?’” noted Sub - bloie. Ferrerra said that the partnership with Budderfly provided tools he’d like - ly not have access to otherwise. “Coming from large-scale con - struction and engineering, building management solutions were big in airports and seaports, but when I got into this very small space, it’s just not
something that you can afford to do,” he said. “But Budderfly gives us ac - cess to that, all those tools that your average franchisee or restaurateur is not going to be able to access with the margins that we see in our industry.” Not only has Ferrera saved money and reduced his restaurant’s energy use with heat pump technology, but the donuts taste better, and the store is more comfortable for customers, he says. “It works very, very well. So, my location where we have it, tempera- ture stays stable all the time,” Ferrera said. “It’s a constant 72 in the space,
COPIA’S FOOD RECOVERY NETWORK
Other technology companies help op- erations focus on the issue of food waste. Copia is one such company. It of -
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SUSTAINABILITY OUTLOOK 2025
PHOTO COURTESY: SEAN-PAUL FERRERA
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