The typical bar or tavern is developed from a building or in a space in a strip mall that may have served another purpose. Think about it ... have you ever seen a new building built for this purpose? So, the basic challenge will be that the HVAC system was never designed originally to handle the smoke or the number of occupants. Smoke can be reduced by the addition of special filters but be careful that the existing air handling equipment can accommodate the higher pressure drop. In general, the fresh air intake must be increased.

HVAC

Bars and Taverns frequently pose comfort conditioning problems such as:

• Extremely variable loads with high peaks in energy demand.
• High sensible and latent heat gains due to people, food preparation and presentation, as well as any gas venting requirements.
• Localized high sensible and latent heat gains in dancing areas, if any.
• Potential for unbalanced air flow conditions in areas adjacent to kitchens and in smoking and non-smoking areas.
• Kitchen systems need to be separate from other areas to avoid odor contamination and heat migration during higher indoor summer design conditions
• Heavy influx of outdoor air through entrances, especially during peak hours.

Typical system

Bars and Taverns located in larger buildings or strip malls may be tied into the building or mall's chilled/hot water system. In many cases, due to their operating hours not being coincidental with that of the building or mall, they may have separate systems serving only their needs. They may be water-cooled where cooling tower water is available, otherwise they are usually air-cooled due to the lower maintenance required.

Recommendations/Energy Services Opportunities

• Be alert to expansion needs and the potential replacement of old inefficient HVAC and refrigeration equipment with new, improved units.
• Heat pump water heaters are ideal for kitchen areas because of high cooling and water heating loads.

Lighting

Lighting is not usually a major cost item since most bars and taverns are dimly lit. But for those that are also an eating establishment there are some other considerations. It's important to highlight changes in floor elevation, such as steps or ramps, for safety reasons. Good color rendition is always important. Choose sources with color temperatures of 2700 to 3500K and a CRI of at least 80.

Use dimmers to vary light levels from dining mode to cleaning mode. Dining areas only require 5 to 10 footcandles for general illumination, but will need at least 10 to 20 footcandles for cleaning. Cashier areas will need task lighting that is brighter still, 20 to 50 footcandles, the better to count change correctly.

Recommendations/Energy Services Opportunities

While there are but a few, there still may be some lighting efficiency upgrade opportunities that should be considered. The kitchen, storage, bathrooms and any other support areas should be retrofitted with T-8 fluorescent lamps with electronic ballast or compact fluorescent lamps. The dining area may best be left alone.