A Guide to Reducing Energy Costs & Waste for Warehouses

Warehouses provide versatile opportunities for energy-efficient solutions. Since these buildings are often quite large, regulating air temperature and humidity around the clock can result in enormous electrical bills.

Not to mention the costs of staying “green-friendly” compliant. Add lighting on top of that, and you have a recipe for steep energy costs and a large carbon footprint.

Fortunately, every warehouse, regardless of how big it is, can be turned into an energy-efficient asset. To help you do it, we have compiled a list of easy-to-follow tips and guidelines on how to reduce energy costs and waste for warehouses. You can do a lot of this work in house with your own staff, or hire an energy efficiency consulting firm to help you navigate the next steps. Our advice – the bigger the building, the bigger the energy savings and greater need for an outside support firm.

Make Proper Thermostat Adjustments

Regulating the temperature in your warehouse is a very expensive thing to do unless you learn how to do it properly. For instance, if all your air conditioning units start all at once, it will create a peak in electricity demand and potentially cause a number of problems down the line.

Also, setting the thermostat to lower temperatures won’t result in the warehouse cooling faster, and for each thermostat setpoint, it will increase energy consumption by 1 to 3%.

The best way to start reducing energy costs is to invest in programmable thermostats. These thermostats will allow you to program the turn on/off regiment for all your units, so you’ll never leave an air conditioner on all night and set temperatures for working and off hours.

Revisit Warehouse Roof

Since it’s directly exposed to the natural elements, warehouse roofs contribute greatly to energy inefficiency. Fortunately, there are ready-to-install solutions to help you resolve this issue. Cool roof systems are good solutions for warehouses located in hot and cold climates.

These systems feature specific materials which promote consistent solar reflectance. This means that your warehouse will absorb less energy overall, thus reducing the need for turning on your cooling system. A warehouse with refrigeration storage will benefit the most from this solution.

Adding a solar PV systems can generate electricity and add to the reflectiveness of a commercial roof and is worth exploring for a payback and ROI purpose.

Optimize Lighting

In order to have an energy efficient warehouse, it’s crucial that you optimize your lighting solutions. Take advantage of natural light, use energy efficient bulbs, and always look for room for improvement.

Replace all the bulbs in your warehouse with energy-efficient ones. LED fluorescent high-bay fixtures are a very popular lighting solution these days because they light up immediately, unlike high-intensity discharge fixtures with a long warm-up cycle.

To further optimize the lighting in your warehouse and make it more efficient, you should install motion sensors and area-wide dimmer systems.

Combining these two systems will enable you to use your electricity efficiently by utilizing high-intensity light only where it is needed. You can save cash by extending the lifespan of bulbs. Keep the fixtures clean at all times to prevent damage from overheating. Motion sensors will extend the lifespan of your lights as well.

Also, think about introducing new natural light sources – windows and skylights. White painted walls will also help you achieve better lighting results with less power.

Doors and Windows

To reduce energy costs, you will need to keep your warehouse as insulated as possible. With leaks the outdoor air will affect the temperature inside the warehouse, causing the cooling system to work 24/7.

You should install fast-moving automatic doors and air curtains where doors have to remain open for longer periods of time.

Reduce Waste

Finally, to reduce the carbon footprint of your warehouse, you should consider investing in battery-powered forklifts. If you do this, there will be no more exhaust fumes, and you will significantly reduce heat emitted indoors, giving a break to your cooling systems.

Also, you should reduce the amount of high reflective surfaces surrounding the warehouse, as they store heat – instead, plant trees and lawns.

As you can see, there are several things you can do to reduce energy costs and waste for your warehouse. If you don’t have the resources to assess your current situation on your own, Verde can help you identify the course of action that will bring you the best results when it comes to energy consumption. Reach out to us today for an energy efficiency assessment!