If you run a warehouse or any sort of commercial building, then you know that energy efficiency is a real issue. Not only does it save you money on your utility bill, but it also helps the environment.
Click here to find out some of the best ways to make your warehouse more energy efficient.
1. Turn Off The Lights
- As soon as you close the door, turn off any lights that are still on and not needed for any after-hour operations.
2. Upgrade Lighting To Led Bulbs
- The next step to making your warehouse more energy efficient is to use LED bulbs.
- These bulbs are more durable, last ten times longer than incandescent bulbs, and are much more energy efficient than incandescent or halogen bulbs.
- If you were wondering how long an LED bulb lasts: it can last up to 50,000 hours (compared with only 1,000 for incandescent lights).
- This means you can go years before having to replace it!
3. Manage Freezers
- If the freezer is the biggest energy hog in your warehouse, investing in a new compressor with variable speed capability is worthwhile.
- In a refrigeration unit with a variable-speed compressor, you determine how fast it runs by using a thermostat with different temperature settings.
- This way, you control how much energy your compressor uses by slowing it down (or speeding it up) as needed, avoiding energy waste.
- The higher the setting, the faster your compressor runs and uses more energy.
- If you don’t need your refrigeration unit to be running at full power all of the time (for example, if there is no perishable food in it), then this type of compressor wastes energy by running at full speed even when it isn’t necessary.
- It’s also important to note that it’s not just about turning off and on—if there’s no food in your warehouse or equipment room, then everything should be turned off!
4. Reflective Roof Coating or Roof Tiles
- Install a white or reflective roof coating or roof tiles.
- Cool roofs, roofs with white, reflective coatings, can reduce energy use in your warehouse by as much as 30% to 50%, which means less money spent on electricity and gas bills.
- Cool roofs also help keep the building cooler during summer, meaning that you don’t have to run your air conditioning on high (and therefore burn less fossil fuel).
- Cool roofs are often used in warehouses or other large commercial buildings where there’s no need for ventilation or circulation.
- If you choose radiant barrier insulation instead of traditional insulation materials, it will reflect heat back into your room rather than absorbing it into itself as other materials do.
- This helps keep the temperature of your warehouse stable year-round so that employees don’t have to worry about adjusting their thermostats regularly due to external factors like weather changes outside the building itself.
5. Weatherise Doors, Windows And Walls
- If you’re not already doing so, weatherising your warehouse doors, windows, and walls will help to seal up cracks and gaps in the frame.
- This can prevent cold air from entering through the door and keep heat inside during winter.
- To minimise heat loss in the winter, use insulation on door jambs and window casings to prevent heat from escaping through them into the outside air.
- Install storm windows if possible (installed over existing ones).
- Storm windows are typically made of double panes of glass with a layer of plastic between them to reduce wind noise around doors or windows when closed tightly for added insulation value during windy conditions.
6. Install a Smart Thermostat System for Climate Control
- A smart thermostat system is a programmable device that allows you to control the temperature of your warehouse, which can save money by reducing electricity use and keeping workers comfortable.
- The basic setup for a smart thermostat system is simple: You replace an existing thermostat with a new unit and plug it into the wall outlet via a power cord.
7. Space Efficiency and Storage Locations
- The next step is to use a system with multiple storage locations. It will reduce travel time for forklifts and other equipment, reducing their carbon footprints.
- Make sure your pallet rack system is efficiently used and has clear aisle ways to prevent any wasted space or extra travel between areas of the warehouse.
- Your warehouse manager should work with your supplier to make sure you have enough pallets to cover all the space in your warehouse.
- Once you know how many racks will be needed, ensure they’re stacked in a way that doesn’t block any aisleways between racks.
- Too many pallets blocking paths will cause extra travel distance for employees and make it difficult to get a product from one end of the warehouse to another.
8. Motion Sensors
- Motion sensor lights are a great way to save energy.
- Many warehouses use motion sensor lights to turn on and off the lights in areas that don’t need them all of the time, such as stairwells or dark corners.
- Motion sensors can also be programmed, so they only turn on when someone is near them, which means they won’t waste any electricity when there isn’t anyone walking by.
Conclusion
There you have it, how to make your warehouse more energy efficient. It’s not rocket science, but you can make a difference in the future by taking the time to do these things.
