If your company has a warehouse, then the odds are that energy makes up a sizeable portion of your monthly expenses. The chief culprits of energy expenditure include lighting and HVAC usage. In some cases, lighting makes up 40% of a commercial building’s power usage!
High-Efficiency Lighting
One of the easiest ways to decrease costs and improve productivity is to replace older lighting systems with modern LED-based lighting systems. LED’s offer greater efficiency even while providing more light, longer bulb life, and a wide range of other benefits over halogen and fluorescent bulbs.
Traditionally, warehouses have been set up with light systems that provide uniform light for the entire facility. Motion or timer-based lighting systems can help reduce the problem of over-illumination by providing illumination where and when your workers need it.
Other Ways to Increase Light
If replacing your lighting system isn’t something you are ready to consider, there are other ways of decreasing your lighting-related power bills. One option is as simple as instructing your workers to turn off the lights when they are finished in an area. Just be aware that this option needs to be weighed carefully against replacement bulb costs if you are utilising fluorescent bulbs.
Another way to increase the efficiency of your existing lighting is to minimise dark finishes on floors, walls, and ceilings. The lighter the colour, the more light is reflected within the space.
The Importance of Indoor Air Quality
Indoor air quality is an essential feature of any warehouse. Your workers need a safe environment in which to work, so managing concentration of dangerous chemicals is vital. Further, hot and humid work environments may decrease productivity and increase the risk of accidents or mistakes.
Your workers aren’t the only ones that benefit from good indoor air quality: from upholstery to electronics, low air moisture and moderate temperatures ensure that your stock of product or raw materials stay in top condition.
How to Get the Most from Your HVAC?
Insulate
Even the most efficient HVAC systems will prove costly if your space isn’t well insulated. Ensure that your door and window seals are tight. While it may seem like common sense, verifying that the doors and windows remain closed while your system is in use will also help cut costs! When possible insulate your walls and ceilings.
Integrate
Integrating your HVAC with a solar solution such as the SolarVenti will increase the efficiency. In conjunction with your current air conditioning systems and ductwork, it will provide adequate ventilation to prevent poor indoor air quality issues, as well as assist in heading or cooling therefore putting less strain on the HVAC and saving energy costs. The SolarVenti is 100% maintenence free, and free to run.
Maintain
Regularly replacing the filters, as well as cleaning the ducts and fans, is an easy way to save as much as 15% off of your HVAC bills! Periodically have your HVAC system professionally checked to ensure correct refrigerant levels, to clean condenser coils, and to take care of any other preventative maintenance.
Upgrade
Replacing your existing system with a high-efficiency unit can reduce energy consumption by 40%. Newer systems employ variable speed drives (VSDs) which enable the HVAC system to modulate fan speed in order to match air flow with demand.
Solar Solutions to Indoor Air Quality
While traditional HVAC systems are expensive to install and operate, solar-powered solutions can offer the same benefits at a fraction of the cost. During hot conditions, the SolarVenti reduces indoor air humidity. Lower humidity results in greater personal comfort protects products from deterioration, as well as reduces the workload on any existing HVAC systems!
In cold conditions, the SolarVenti system is capable of providing warehouses with warm, dry air without requiring expensive heaters. The system is entirely solar-powered meaning that the system rapidly pays for itself.