What’s the first thing you see when you want to reduce energy costs in the office? It’s the way the office uses light and the HVAC system, right? You’ll think about ways to reduce the time that the air-conditioning unit or heater system is turned on. You’ll change the bulbs in your office so that they can be eco-friendlier. Although these are valid steps that any office manager must take, it is also not the only place you should look at.
Your warehouse can cost your energy bill to shoot up, too. Why do you think you have to get PVC door strips installed there? It’s to keep the heat or cold inside. The aim is to reduce the use of electricity generated by overusing the heating and cooling systems in the warehouse.
The steps are very simple. You don’t need to take too much of an effort to make these tricks work.
Power Density
Most building codes have specific requirements on the power density for every area of the building. For example, the storage area of your warehouse must have 10 watts of light per square meter. The employee area should have 3 watts per square meter, while the lobby and entrances should have 15 watts per square meter. By making sure that your warehouse has the right light density, you can save a lot on your lighting costs.
Fluorescent Lights
These are not exactly the most flattering. If you take a picture of the warehouse, the lights will not make the products pop out. Your own photos will look dry and washed out. But here’s the thing: fluorescent lights can lead to energy savings up to 80% of your current usage. And although they don’t look good in photos, the use of these lights will allow your workers to see the inventory better. Eye strain will also be avoided.
Insulation
The PVC strips for your door is one way to help control the temperature of the warehouse. You also need to make sure that the walls and ceilings are properly insulated. That is the first step to making sure that you have control of the temperature in the warehouse. You should also invest in partition walls so that you can change the temperature of every area according to its needs. The partition walls should be properly insulated, too.
Trees
Do you know that planting trees around your warehouse building can reduce the amount of electricity it uses during the summer season? The shade from the trees will cool down your building. You won’t need to crank up the air-conditioning unit too much if the heat from the sun isn’t getting into the warehouse.
Finally, recycle and upcycle as much as you can. Don’t throw away things because they don’t have value for your business right now. Maybe you can turn them into something you can use in the office. Perhaps you can donate them to other businesses that may find a use for them. Make sure that your employees understand this policy.
