nexIK

Exploring the Human-Water-Energy Nexus in Industrial Kitchens

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Industrial kitchens (IKs) use between 5 and 7 times more energy per square meter than other commercial building spaces like office buildings and retail stores [1]. Furthermore, studies indicate that in the EU, UK, and the US, 30% of the energy consumed in industrial kitchens is used in purely commercial establishments, e.g., restaurants and snack-bars [2].

Despite the size and ubiquity of this industry, the role of IKs in the global quest for sustainable energy systems is still widely under-explored.

The nexIK project will address this important topic, proposing a new methodology to quantify the interactions between Water, Energy and Food in IKs. Commonly known as the Water-Energy-Food Nexus (WEFN), the developed methodology will provide a holistic approach to assess the impact of IK activity on the consumption of electricity and water.

This project builds upon ongoing research in two associate laboratories from Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT), namely LARSyS and INESC-ID both of which have a strong focus on sustainable energy systems and distributed energy resources management research.

The nexIK project (EXPL/CCI-COM/1234/2021) is funded by the FCP, I.P. /MCTES through national funds (PIDDAC).

Participate in the nexIK project by providing information about your Commercial / Industrial Kitchen. You can do that by filling out this survey: http://shorturl.at/hPZ49

Latest news

Jul 29, 2023
New publication!! The nexIK project will be presented at ACM GoodIT 2023 in Lisbon, Portugal. Check it Out.
Paper Title: Virtual Assistants for Energy Efficiency: Real World Tryouts. You can read the paper here.
Jul 24, 2023 During the week of July 16 to July 21, 2023 the nexIK project was presented in several national and international events.
Jun 28, 2023
We are happy to announce that our colleague Vasco Andrade has successfully defended his Master’s thesis in the scope of the nexIK project. Vasco made some very important research contributions to forecasting the consumption of individual appliances in industrial kitchens. Check it out
May 19, 2023 Check our latest video, where Ana and Miriam talk about the nexIK vision that will be presented in CIRED 2023.
Apr 15, 2023
We added a new section to the website with tips for promoting energy efficiency in Industrial Kitchens. Check it out. More to come on this soon… Stay tuned!