Soot and grease becomes a problem while trying to recover energy from restaurant ventilation. The particles contaminate the recovery unit, decreasing the output and the amount of recoverable energy*. A common countermeasure is implementing filtering or technology that utilizes ozone or UV rays in order to process the contaminated air flow - albeit sometimes more expensive than the return on the recovered energy. RISE has established that such technologies are far from optimal in commercial kitchen environments, as only 4 to 13 percent of grease particles are terminated**.

Lepido is the next step in energy recovery. Instead of applying filter techniques, Lepido is designed for harsh environments, coexisting with particles of soot and grease. Said particles simply pass through the recovery unit without sticking. This is thanks to Lepido’s Heavy-Duty heat exchanger, designed to recover energy in this hostile environment thanks to a patented aerodynamical configuration (PRG) of the coils.

By adding a Heat pump (optional) the system is able to activate its Self-cleaning system (APC). By periodically freezing the coils, the grease particles lose their adhesiveness and slide off the coil. The process creates an autonomous cleaning system that doesn’t require maintenance.

With a stabilized output and no extra need of maintenance, every saved kWh is an immediate return on the property owners investment. This makes Lepido the first profitable energy recovery solution in restaurant ventilation.

*Abdul Hamid, et al., Lund University’s Faculty of Engineering & Swedish Department of Energy
** RISE