Designed for eateries with 3 to 5 deep fryers, VegaWatt is the size of a standard fridge and hooks up easily on-site. The VegaWatt produces fuel free of chemicals or fossil fuels, unlike standard biodiesel. The machine puts used fryer oil through a 4-stage filtering process, converting it into a free and clean form of energy. Manufactured by the Owl Power Company, VegaWatt is part of the EPA’s Combined Heat and Power Partnership (CHP). CPH involves one source fulfilling two functions (heat and energy generation), and it’s one of many suggestions from the EPA to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Besides the obvious benefits of reduced oil waste and improved energy efficiency, an average 70 gallon/per week restaurant can save around $800 per month on energy bills. Owning a Vegawatt system also rewards credits towards LEED certification and tax credits in the US. Hopefully it will simply be a matter of time until the Canadian government embraces the VegaWatt.
