It sounds unbelievable, but buildings contribute two-thirds of the global carbon footprint. The inconvenient question that springs up with this knowledge is – is there anything you can do about it? After all, the building is already there, the damage has already been done and you can’t just tear it down.
First of all, greening your storage facility up is always a possibility and it’s a good PR move on your part. Lowering energy costs and having a few tweaks here and there is not only a feat of altruism, it’s really good for your finances in the long run. The initial investment will pay off in the future, and in order to do it right, here are some budget-friendly tips on how to make your storage facility greener.
As far as lighting is concerned
There are several energy efficient lighting solutions you can choose from. HIF (high intensity fluorescent), LED (light-emitting diode) and induction lighting are some of the preferred choices that can save you a lot of money at the end of the fiscal year. An additional perk is that these sources of light produce less heat, which makes them ideal for illuminating places that need to be kept at low temperatures.
Movement sensors can also contribute to a more energy efficient lighting system. They can be installed in low traffic areas in the storage facility to trigger lights to turn on only when people pass by or enter the room. Light level sensors can also be a great ally in warehouses with windows as they can adapt to the presence of natural light. Adding a skylight to the roof of your facility is also a good trick.
Importance of airflow
Ceiling fans, especially high-volume low-speed (HVLS) fans can improve air circulation and lower the temperature of the room that needs to be air-conditioned. This can save energy drastically, even though it doesn’t appear so at first glance.
These slow-moving fans can have a diameter of up to 24 feet and they circulate air much more efficiently than smaller and faster fans. They are also very useful during the winter – as we all know, warm air moves upwards, so these fans can, in a way, recycle the warm air and send it back down.
Reuse, Recycle, Expand
Now that we’ve mentioned recycling, it’s important to instill the tradition of using, reusing and expanding in the working environment. Highly adaptable pallet racks are designed with this exact purpose – to be able to get that extra mileage out of pallet storage. These are not only built to last, but you can also modify them in accordance with your current warehousing needs.
In addition to this, try to reuse cardboard boxes and other packing materials. A returnable packaging system will bring a lot of benefits to both your wallet and your reputation as a green-thinking business. As for the things you can’t reuse, you can send them to certified recycling facilities that will know how to dispose of the material in an ecological way.
Cool roofs are cool
There are materials that can replace regular roof tiles to create an energy efficient facility. These materials can reflect the sun’s heat from the roof in a very effective way. This way, you will reduce the amount of heat that would otherwise be absorbed into the building. On the other hand, there is a downside to this. Cool roofs are known to increase the cost of heating during the winter months, but this increase is negligible when compared to how much money it actually saves during the hot months.
With only some of these cheap additions to your storage facility, you can rest assured that you have done everything you can to reduce your carbon footprint. It may seem that one warehouse doesn’t make too much of a difference, but if everyone in the business world adopted this frame of mind, we could see some positive changes in the near future.
