Project Uses the LEED® (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Certification Process created by the U.S. Green Building Council
As part of Yum! Brands' E3 initiative, which represents ways the company pursues economic responsibility toward reducing energy and being environmentally aware, the multi-concept chain restaurant operator has opened what it describes as an environmentally friendly KFC restaurant in Indianapolis. The building is designed to use 25 percent less energy and water than a conventional KFC restaurant, according to a company release.
This new KFC location features energy-efficient cooking equipment; low-power, long-life LED lighting; locally sourced building materials; parking preference for hybrid vehicles; fixtures designed for lower water use; and waste recycling, including cooking oil and plastics.
Other sustainable features include reusing energy to heat hot water, harvesting sunlight to reduce manmade lighting, automating energy management and lighting, reducing the use of foam through reusable food containers, installing fixtures designed for lower water use, and reducing building size to save materials and energy.
"This is one step along our path toward designing and building greener restaurants and we'll be using it as a 'test lab' to evaluate the performance of technologies and processes. What we learn at the Indianapolis restaurant could potentially impact the design of future buildings worldwide," said Roger McClendon, chief sustainability officer for Yum! Brands, Inc., parent company of KFC Corporation.
