Restaurants Now Able to Power Their Operation Using Leftover Cooking Oil

One commodity every restaurant in the world seems to always have an abundance of is used grease and oil. Used in the preparation of their many culinary delights, it is a definitely a business essential and once no longer capable of being used, a waste disposal nightmare. The advent of bio-diesel fuel (diesel engines converted to run on cooking oil) did create a win-win used grease waste disposal outlet for some restaurants, but not enough to handle the millions of gallons that are created daily. Why can't restaurant owners use this excess grease to support their business, someone asked themselves?

That someone was James Peret, one of the 2009 Popular Science Invention Award winners. After 4 years of development and a $300,000 investment, Peret devised a solution that will decrease land fill contributions from the restaurants, reduce ground water pollution, and reduce a portion of the operating expense for restaurant owners. That is quite a handsome return for his curiosity wouldn't you say? How is all this possible? He invented the Vegawatt, a self contained grease refinery and five kilowatt generator. This was an option that had not previously been available to restaurant owners.

The Vegawatt processes leftover cooking oil and converts it into fuel which powers the diesel generator whose energy is used to provide an alternative electrical source for the restaurant. How does it work? Used oil is poured into a filtration reservoir where it undergoes a multi stage cleaning, treatment, and filtration process. Once cleaned the oil is prepared for combustion through a proprietary exhaust system that heats up the oil before it is fed into a modified 15 horsepower diesel generator. Heat from the Vegawatt's engine coolant system can be used to heat the restaurants water. The Vegawatt can process up to 80 gallons of grease and oil a week and provide five kilowatts of electrical energy an hour. This can results in an average savings of approximately 10% of the restaurant's monthly energy expense, in addition to the cost savings of used grease and oil disposal.

The Vegawatt is a unique alternative fuel application. It is a one of a kind solution that converts a waste stream into an energy source, without any intermediary, and it is non-polluting. Hesitant to discuss the inner workings of the Vegawatt, pending patent approval, Peret confirmed the unit is operational and he is installing the Vegawatt for restaurant owners across the country through his start-up Owl Power Company. Pitching the Vegawatt as the perfect way to go green, save money, and still serve delicious burger and fries at the same time, he is looking forward to sharing his invention worldwide and observe the positive impact it has on the environment.

Grease Lighting - Popular Science - June, 2009

Tags; Green, alternative energy, technology, restaurant