McDonald’s collaborated with Schneider Electric to ensure that its new restaurant operates with optimum energy efficiency and achieves its sustainability goals.

In cooperation with Schneider Electric, McDonald’s developed an integrated energy use and control system in its 1000th restaurant in Australia. With this inspiring project as an important step towards sustainability, efficiency will be optimized while energy consumption will be reduced.

The 1000th restaurant to open in Melbourne’s Melton South will be the McDonald’s brand’s first exemplary sustainable restaurant in Australia. This restaurant will be used to test, evaluate and implement sustainability innovations as a historic step in the company’s efforts to reduce its environmental impact. All of the restaurant’s energy systems, including the microgrid, air conditioning, cooling and lighting, will be managed by Schneider Electric’s integrated EcoStruxure for Retail system. Sensors will monitor daylight and occupancy, and automatic lighting and air-conditioning commands will be applied to save energy. On a sunny day, sensors will automatically dim the lights in the dining area, and the air conditioning will be adjusted according to the number of customers in the restaurant. The system will also provide real-time updates: Abnormalities in air conditioning, lighting and cooling systems will generate an alarm in the mobile application and will be corrected immediately.

The solar energy system at the location will produce approximately 42,000 kWh of energy each year, thus all energy will come from renewable sources. The new restaurant will also feature several sustainability features such as Happy Meal toy recycling, carbon-neutral McDelivery via Uber Eats and Door Dash, Australia’s first PlayPlace unit made from recycled materials, and electric vehicle charging stations. All Schneider Electric products used to power the 1000th restaurant stand out with their Green Premium certification and a structured use-cycle management process to reduce the impact on the environment.

Gareth O’Reilly, President of Schneider Electric Pacific, said: “We are proud to be collaborating with McDonald’s on this important future-shaping project. Sustainability is at the core of what we do. We use our global expertise and experience to help McDonald’s Australia achieve its sustainability goals.”

Diana Grosmann, Director of National Development at McDonald’s Australia, said: “This specialty restaurant, as a hub of innovation, will play a key role in designing and installing commercially viable sustainability solutions in every new McDonald’s restaurant for years to come. The opening of our 1000th restaurant is an important development for McDonald’s. We are proud that we continue to find new and innovative ways to make a positive difference in our business. We hope our new restaurant will help us learn quickly and popularize successful innovation trials. So we can continue to develop applications, equipment and products that will reduce our impact on the environment.”