When it comes to operating a warehouse, the conventional thought of efficiency tends to relate to logistics most of the times. These days, however, an efficient warehouse is more about getting orders out of the door as quickly as you can. Directly related to cost efficiency, this, in the long-term, requires planning for processes, designs and systems that could boost energy savings and result in continuous cost savings.
And considering how many spaces should be cooled, heated or controlled for humidity, going green in your warehouse should no longer be an afterthought, but an essential to boost your bottom line. What follows are some measures you can take to scale the wall of sustainability and energy efficiency for your warehouse.
- Upgrade to Energy-Efficient Equipment with Technology
Equipment operation in warehouses consumes significant electricity. You can reduce electrical consumption by switching to energy-efficient equipment that can be supported by energy-saving motors. AS/RS, conveyors, and highly-efficient variable-frequency drives.
But since warehouses are extremely large in size, you may need a software for managing the warehouse while ensuring that affected inventory is moved across different distribution channels seamlessly. Some sites enable you to compare top warehouse software and find the one that best suits your needs. Look for an option that allows you to optimize businesses processes and manage key performance indicators for energy efficient upgrades.
- Accommodate Natural Lighting
Warehouse owners can consider options like clear glass to accommodate a good amount of natural lightning in their premises. When used in combination with daylight tubes, which switch off or reduce on their own when the sensors identify enough ambient light, the glass can minimize the building’s reliance on artificial lighting.
Optimizing the building’s lighting can save you as much as 40 percent energy. Lighting could be the low-hanging fruit of your desire to go green, especially if your installation has pushed for more than a decade. Other tactics like scheduling and dimming can also be used in combination with advanced tactics to control lighting such as demand response (this is when lights are adjusted in peak times depending on the signals from electric utilities).
- Be Mindful Of Ventilation & Heating
Keeping a check on your air conditioning, ventilation and heating usage is also a great step towards achieving energy management efficiency of warehouse. For instance, reducing your thermostat’s temperature by just few degrees can bring in a lot of energy savings for a mid-size bedroom – imagine the impact it would have on the costs of heating an entire warehouse.
Similarly, you could significantly reduce carbon emissions by replacing electric heaters with a central heating system. Also, insulation can be considered for slowing down the movement of heat throughout your warehouse. If the weather is hot, insulation ensures the transfer of heat into your building slows down and when the weather is cold, it ensures the heat doesn’t escape from the building. This drastically reduces the need to spend money on air conditioning and heating.
Combining consumption reduction tactics with smart energy procurement can help you save year after year. It will also prevent you from higher priced tariffs by reducing your energy usage. In the end, you’ll end up with significant savings that could be reinvested in your business.
Article Submitted By Community Writer