Why are renewable energy sources relevant to restaurants as well?

A fine-dining restaurant is a particularly energy-intensive establishment.

Between ovens, stovetops, walk-in coolers, refrigerators, ventilation, lighting, and the equipment needed for the day-to-day operation of a professional kitchen, energy accounts for a significant portion of consumption.

For a restaurant committed to environmental sustainability, reducing energy consumption is the first step. Choosing energy from renewable sources is another way to limit its environmental impact.

This is the approach adopted by La Table de Colette, the Parisian fine-dining restaurant run by Chef Josselin Marie.

As part of its commitment to responsible gastronomy, the restaurant is focusing in particular on its energy consumption and the selection of its energy suppliers, partnering with OHM Énergie for renewable electricity and Endesa for biomethane.

The goal: to transform the restaurant’s energy model without compromising the standards of fine dining.

La Table de Colette’s Energy Transition

For La Table de Colette, the energy transition is part of a broader reflection on a restaurant’s environmental impact.

The principle is simple: to address both the amount of energy consumed and its source.

This involves, in particular:

• better control of energy consumption;
• optimizing equipment;
• choosing electricity from renewable sources;
• using biomethane for gas-powered applications;
• traceability of the renewable source through certification mechanisms;
• raising awareness among staff and customers.

This initiative complements other environmental efforts implemented by La Table de Colette focused on plant-based cuisine, food waste reduction, and lowering its carbon footprint.

Discover La Table de Colette and its approach.

OHM Énergie: Renewable Electricity for La Table de Colette

Who is OHM Énergie?

OHM Énergie is a French electricity and gas provider that offers, among other things, electricity from renewable sources.

For its green plans, OHM Énergie relies on the Guarantees of Origin (GO) mechanism. These certificates attest that an equivalent amount of renewable electricity has been generated and fed into the grid.

Depending on the plan, OHM Énergie highlights electricity from renewable sources produced in France and backed by Guarantees of Origin.

Discover OHM Énergie’s renewable electricity plans.

What does “green electricity” mean?

The term can be misleading.

When a restaurant signs up for a renewable electricity plan, the electricity flowing through its outlets is no different from that of other consumers. All users are supplied by the power grid.

The difference lies in the certified source of the electricity associated with the consumption.

The principle involves linking the customer’s consumption to an equivalent amount of renewable electricity that has been generated and fed into the grid.

OHM Énergie also explains how its plans work and details the traceability of renewable electricity on its page dedicated to green energy and its producers.

Guarantees of Origin: How Does Renewable Electricity Work?

A Guarantee of Origin is an electronic certificate that proves that a specific amount of electricity was generated from a renewable source.

The mechanism can be summarized simply:

1. Production

A producer generates electricity from a renewable source: wind, solar, hydro, etc.

2. Feeding into the grid

The electricity produced is fed into the power grid.

3. Certification

A Guarantee of Origin is associated with this generation.

4. Supply to the customer

The supplier uses the Guarantees of Origin to certify the renewable source corresponding to its customer’s consumption.

5. Cancellation of the Guarantee

The Guarantee of Origin is then canceled so that it cannot be used more than once.

For more information on this topic, the Ministry of Ecological Transition provides details on the regulatory framework governing Guarantees of Origin.

Why Choose Renewable Electricity for a Professional Kitchen?

A gourmet kitchen relies on a wide range of electrical equipment: refrigeration, ventilation, lighting, small food preparation appliances, cooking appliances, and food storage systems.

Choosing a renewable electricity plan therefore allows the restaurant to incorporate the source of its energy into its environmental policy.

For La Table de Colette, this approach complements the actions already taken in other areas of environmental impact.

It also helps make the topic of energy more tangible for staff and customers: behind every dish, there is equipment, operating hours, and energy consumption.

Endesa: Biomethane to Replace Part of the Fossil Gas

Electricity isn’t the only energy source used in a professional kitchen.

Some cooking equipment runs on gas. To reduce dependence on fossil fuels, biomethane offers a renewable alternative to natural gas.

With this in mind, La Table de Colette relies on Endesa and its green gas offering.

What is biomethane?

Biomethane is a renewable gas produced from organic matter through a process called anaerobic digestion.

Materials such as agricultural residues, organic waste, or other suitable feedstocks are broken down in the absence of oxygen. This process produces biogas, which can then be purified to obtain biomethane.

The biomethane can then be injected into existing gas networks.

Endesa presents its offering for businesses as a solution based on French-sourced biomethane, produced by local partners.

How does biomethane work in a restaurant?

The process can be summarized as follows:

Organic matter → anaerobic digestion → biogas production → purification → biomethane → injection into the network → use by the restaurant

Biomethane and natural gas then flow through the distribution networks. Consumers do not necessarily need to modify their systems to use a renewable gas that is compatible with equipment designed for natural gas.

Endesa and French biomethane producers

The use of biomethane isn’t limited to the restaurant’s energy consumption.

It also contributes to the development of a French renewable gas production sector.

Endesa highlights its partnerships with French biomethane producers, particularly those in the agricultural sector.

This sector is based on a circular economy model: organic materials are repurposed to produce renewable energy, while the anaerobic digestion process also generates digestate that can be used as fertilizer.

Discover Endesa’s partner French biomethane producers.

For a restaurant, choosing biomethane thus helps link energy consumption, the ecological transition, and the development of French renewable energy sectors.

La Table de Colette: Renewable Electricity and Biomethane

La Table de Colette’s energy strategy is therefore based on two complementary pillars:

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This approach allows the restaurant to account for the origin of the energy used to power its kitchen, in addition to energy-saving and efficiency measures.

An energy strategy that begins with reducing consumption

Choosing renewable energy does not mean you can neglect working on consumption itself.

For a restaurant, the first step is therefore to identify the most energy-intensive areas.

In a professional kitchen, this may include:

• ovens;
• stovetops and cooking equipment;
• cold storage rooms;
• refrigerators and freezers;
• ventilation;
• hot water production;
• lighting.

Optimizing equipment and practices helps reduce energy needs even before addressing the source of the energy.

The energy transition therefore relies on two complementary approaches: consuming less and choosing lower-carbon energy sources.

ADEME also offers numerous resources to support businesses in their efforts toward energy conservation and efficiency.

How has La Table de Colette integrated the energy transition into its operations?

The process can be broken down into several steps.

Step 1: Measure energy consumption

Before changing its energy contract, a restaurant must know its electricity and natural gas consumption.

This analysis helps identify periods of high consumption and the equipment that accounts for the largest portion of the energy balance.

Step 2: Optimize equipment

A commercial kitchen can reduce its energy needs through more efficient equipment, better maintenance, and proper use of appliances.

The goal is to avoid wasting energy during preparation, service, or cleanup periods.

Step 3: Choose renewable energy providers

Once energy consumption is better managed, the restaurant can compare the offers available on the market.

Key criteria to consider include:

• the source of the energy;
• Guarantees of Origin;
• the type of contract;
• the price term;
• the pricing terms;
• the supplier’s transparency;
• methods for tracking consumption.

Step 4: Measure and Communicate

Finally, the restaurant can track changes in its energy consumption and explain its approach to its staff and customers.

This educational effort is important: energy is invisible on the plate, but it plays a direct role in the preparation of every dish.

Renewable Energy and Fine Dining: Why This Approach Matters

For a fine-dining restaurant, the energy transition is about more than just switching suppliers.

It involves rethinking the entire operation of the kitchen.

An oven that runs for several hours, a walk-in cooler that stays on constantly, or ventilation essential for the staff’s comfort all contribute to energy consumption.

Shifting the source of this energy therefore complements efforts to reduce consumption.

At La Table de Colette, this approach is part of a broader vision of responsible fine dining: conserving resources, reducing waste, prioritizing plant-based options, and considering the restaurant’s overall environmental impact.

The Benefits of Renewable Energy for a Restaurant

1. Reducing the environmental impact of its operations

The primary goal is to reduce the environmental footprint associated with energy consumption.

Electricity from renewable sources and biomethane help support energy sectors that offer alternatives to fossil fuels.

2. Support renewable energy producers

Guarantees of Origin link a customer’s consumption to a corresponding renewable energy source.

OHM Énergie specifically highlights French renewable energy producers as part of its green energy offerings.

For its part, Endesa is developing partnerships with French biomethane producers.

3. Bringing Greater Consistency to an Environmental Approach

For a restaurant committed to sustainable development, energy is an area that complements other environmental initiatives.

Local sourcing, seasonality, reducing food waste, and lowering energy consumption all contribute to the same goal: reducing the environmental impact of the restaurant industry without compromising on quality.

Note an important distinction: renewable energy and “zero carbon”

It is important to distinguish between several concepts.

To say that a form of energy is renewable means that it comes from a source that naturally replenishes itself on a human timescale: sun, wind, water, biomass, etc.

This does not necessarily mean that its use results in zero greenhouse gas emissions over its entire life cycle.

Similarly, signing up for a renewable electricity plan does not mean that the restaurant physically receives only electrons generated by a wind turbine or a solar panel.

The most accurate way to describe this is therefore to refer to certified renewable electricity, renewable biomethane, or a reduction in the energy footprint, rather than systematically claiming that the restaurant is “carbon-neutral.”

This clarification is essential to avoid greenwashing and ensure credible environmental communication.

Guarantees of Origin: Traceability at the Heart of Green Energy

Guarantees of Origin play a central role in the traceability of renewable electricity offerings.

They link the amount of energy consumed by a customer to an equivalent amount of renewable energy generated and fed into the grid.

For electricity, a Guarantee of Origin corresponds to 1 MWh of renewable electricity generated.

This mechanism thus makes it possible to document the renewable origin claimed by a plan.

For biomethane, a specific system of Guarantees of Origin also makes it possible to trace the renewable gas fed into the grid.

Can gourmet cuisine be more sustainable without compromising on quality?

Yes.

A restaurant’s energy transition does not necessarily mean completely overhauling its kitchen or giving up the professional equipment essential to the quality of service.

The challenge lies instead in measuring energy consumption, optimizing usage, and choosing renewable energy sources whenever possible.

For La Table de Colette, this approach is part of a broader vision: to demonstrate that gourmet cuisine can strive for excellence while incorporating environmental considerations more fully.

How can a restaurant switch to renewable energy?

This approach can be replicated by other establishments.

1. Conduct an energy audit

Start by identifying:

• your annual electricity consumption;
• your gas consumption;
• your most energy-intensive equipment;
• your periods of high consumption;
• ways to reduce your usage.

2. Compare energy plans

For electricity, be sure to check the Guarantees of Origin, the source of renewable energy, and the pricing terms.

For natural gas, look at the proportion of biomethane, its source, and traceability mechanisms.

3. Choose a contract tailored to your business

A restaurant’s needs differ from those of a residential customer. Business owners should take into account their contracted power capacity, consumption patterns, and the seasonality of their operations.

4. Track your consumption

The energy transition doesn’t end with signing a contract.

It’s essential to regularly track consumption to monitor progress and identify new savings opportunities.

5. Promote the initiative without greenwashing

Communicate verifiable facts:

• the renewable source of the electricity;
• the proportion of biomethane;
• the energy savings achieved;
• energy efficiency measures;
• the associated certifications and guarantees.

Transparent communication is more credible than a general promise of a “zero-carbon restaurant.”

La Table de Colette: A Comprehensive Vision of Responsible Gastronomy

The energy transition is a key component of La Table de Colette’s environmental approach.

Working alongside Chef Josselin Marie, the restaurant seeks to integrate environmental considerations at various levels: ingredient selection, waste reduction, the role of plant-based foods, and resource management.

The use of electricity from renewable sources through OHM Énergie and biomethane provided by Endesa is part of this approach.

The goal is to gradually transform the operations of a gourmet kitchen to reduce its environmental impact, while preserving what defines its identity: the quality of ingredients, technical precision, and the joy of dining.

FAQ: Renewable Energy and the Restaurant Industry

Why does a restaurant consume so much energy?

A professional kitchen uses a variety of energy-intensive equipment: ovens, stovetops, walk-in coolers, refrigerators, ventilation, lighting, and hot water systems. Consumption depends largely on the restaurant’s size, the type of cuisine, and operating hours.

What is a Guarantee of Origin?

A Guarantee of Origin is an electronic certificate that attests that a specific amount of electricity was generated from a renewable source.

Does a green electricity plan mean that the electricity you receive is physically different?

No. Electricity flows through a shared grid. A green electricity plan relies on a traceability mechanism that links the customer’s consumption to an equivalent amount of renewable electricity generated and fed into the grid.

What is biomethane?

Biomethane is a renewable gas obtained after purifying biogas produced by the anaerobic digestion of organic matter. It can be fed into gas grids and used by equipment designed to run on natural gas.

Does biomethane require changes to a restaurant’s equipment?

When injected into the grid and distributed as a compatible renewable gas, biomethane can be used with equipment that runs on natural gas. Endesa states that its biomethane offering does not require any modifications to the customer’s installation.

What is Endesa’s biomethane offering?

Endesa offers businesses a “Green Gas” plan based on French-sourced biomethane from local partner producers.

Does OHM Énergie offer renewable electricity?

Yes. OHM Énergie offers electricity from renewable sources, including plans backed by Guarantees of Origin.

Is a kitchen powered by renewable energy automatically “zero-carbon”?

No. Choosing renewable energy can help reduce the energy-related carbon footprint, but the term “zero-carbon” should be used with caution and based on a comprehensive carbon assessment.

A restaurant must also take into account emissions related to purchasing, transportation, waste, equipment, and its entire operations.

Learn More

• La Table de Colette — Discover the restaurant and its approach to responsible gastronomy.
• OHM Énergie: Renewable Electricity — Learn about electricity plans powered by renewable sources.
• OHM Énergie: Green Energy — Learn about the origin and traceability of renewable electricity.
• Endesa: Green Gas Plan — Learn about the biomethane plan for businesses.
• Endesa: Biomethane Producers in France — Learn about French players in the biomethane sector.
• ADEME — Access resources on energy efficiency and the ecological transition.
• Ministry of Ecological Transition — Understand the regulatory framework for renewable energy and Guarantees of Origin.

📝 Article written in collaboration with La Table de Colette, OHM Énergie, and Endesa