The nearly 170-unit chain installed a solar thermal unit in its Pleasanton, Calif., location.

The unit clocks in an energy savings of between 9.52 and 10.03 therms per day, offsetting 15 percent of the hot water load. Over the course of the year, Cheesecake Factory execs expect to save the restaurant about $2,355 in energy costs and 58,112 pounds of CO2.