MCDONALD’SArlington Heights

Situation: Verde was brought into a McDonald’s branch in Arlington Heights to provide an energy assessment that would hopefully lower operational costs and improve efficiency.

Problem: This McDonald’s branch had outdated lighting, outdated cooling and freezing, and outdated HVAC units.

Solution: Exterior lighting was converted to 75w LED, cooler and freezer T5 was converted to LED, interior kitchen and storage area was converted to 36 watt LED fixtures with advanced lighting controls, the play area was converted to LED fixtures, and 4 rooftop area HVAC units were converted to top of the line energy efficient units with economizers. In addition to the energy savings, McDonalds received brand new HVAC units with warranties on their entire rooftop HVAC system.

Result: LED lighting greatly improves visibility, while well-tuned economizers bring fresh air to cool their kitchen. Total project cost was $63,973 with an incentives rebate of $42,900. The McDonald’s Arlington Heights branch saved 103,617kWh annually as well as $10,361 in costs per year. The return on investment was calculated at 1.8 years.