Assessing the transition in commercial cooking fuels: An energy, economic, and environmental analysis of LPG and electricity in Malaysia

Abstract

Commercial restaurant buildings stand out as significant consumers of energy. In Malaysia, commercial restaurant buildings have access to both cooking fuel types: liquified petroleum gas and electricity. This paper analyses the potential for an energy transition for commercial restaurants by analyzing the energy, economic, and environmental impact of liquified petroleum gas-fuelled and electric-fuelled equipment. It is found that liquified petroleum gas equipment has approximately 38 % higher energy consumption but only 0.8 % higher energy cost compared to electric. Liquified petroleum gas equipment efficiency is 66 %, while electric equipment performance scores 97 % using the water boiling test. The life-cycle cost analysis reveals that electric fuel equipment could save up to USD 63,045.20 in cost while reducing greenhouse gas emissions with applied strategies. Hence, a new energy policy is proposed to create a strategic energy transition for Malaysia's electricity generation mix to accelerate the Nation’s carbon emission reduction goal by 2030.