Applying Solar Energy to Food Trucks
Abstract
Ecofriendly is moving to food trucks to save costs with renewables and provide earth--- friendly food service. Many restaurants and cafés are becoming environmentally inclined or ‘green’; so are food trucks. Some chefs want to do more than select a menu with food that is local, healthy and sustainably grown/produced. They are also looking at energy efficiency and renewables to safely preserve food, lower operating costs, be more mobile and make their kitchens more comfortable work environments. All food trucks have a power cord that ties to utility, called ‘shore power’. To be mobile, food trucks typically have fossil fuel generators to supply power while on the move or stationed at a remote site. Solar energy is another possible source of power. Solar---electric modules or photovoltaics (PV) can be mounted to the roof, partially or completely powering food truck kitchens. The viability of applying PV depends of the type of food being offered and the size of the kitchen. In any case, solar can meet many of the energy requirements of a typical food truck.
Keywords
Ecofriendly, Environmental, Energy efficiency, Renewables, Solar---electric, Photovoltaic, Food truck, Kitchen, Utility power.