With coronavirus rearing its ugly head well into this year, more industrial users are starting to look for ways to optimize their operations and reduce costs. Here are 8 tips for industrial tenants looking to save on warehouse costs this year.
1. Use solar light tubes to cut down on electrical usage.
Solar tubes are cylinders used to capture natural sunlight and bring it into a warehouse, assembly center or an office. They are used to add to or even replace other lighting sources and can have a large effect on your electric bill. They are usually installed on the roof of a building and then come through the ceiling. There are even some kinds of Solar light tubes that automatically track the sun as it moves through the sky. If you install them, you may even be eligible for a Federal Tax Credit.
2. Cool your roof.
Many people are shocked at how hot a warehouse roof can get. By using some basic common sense and cool roof technologies that are available today you can reduce the temperature of your roof by up to 100(!) degrees. The basics are fairly simple: As a first step, coat your roof with a sturdy and highly reflective paint. The reflective paint will greatly reduce the amount of heat the warehouse will absorb. Use the same reflective paint to coat around the building’s air conditioner units. This will increase the air conditioner’s efficiency and reduce your electricity usage.
3. Upgrade your building’s insulation.
You have a few choices here: plain batt insulation and loose filled or spray foam insulation. Of the choices, the most efficient is the spray foam. It is slightly more expensive, but the additional savings are well worth the extra expense. 4. Install LED lighting with Motion Sensor.
One of the best things you can do for more efficiency is to change your lighting. You won’t believe how much money this simple fix will save you. Most lighting is from metal halide fixtures. Replace those fixtures with LED lights, and when you do, your new lighting will use 50% less energy. Prices have come down significantly for Led lighting so it’s a financially viable option. Additionally, install motion sensors with the lights to reduce usage when no one is in that section of the warehouse.
5. Reduce lighting usage in your warehouse by redoing your lighting plan.
One way to rethink your warehouse lighting, and as a consequence, your electricity usage is to implement a task lighting plan to reduce your energy usage. If you are involved in assembly, move lighting closer to the employees. By doing this simple yet obvious thing your overall electrical usage can be reduced. You can increase your savings by combining this with natural lighting and even motion sensor triggered artificial light if you need more light on occasion. 6. Install controllable thermostats.
Controllable thermostats are used everywhere today, the problem with them is that many of them are not programmed properly. This is no excuse for not using this money saving technology. Pick an employee and make it their job to track the temperature changes over the course of a workday and then, make it their job to learn how to program the thermostat.
7. Install lighting sensors.
We mentioned this strategy above. Lighting sensors are just motion sensors that are programmed to turn lighting off when areas in a warehouse have low activity and lighting is not critical. These areas might also be better served with the use of solar light tubes. 8. Use destratification fans.
In colder climates and in the winter months, destratification fans can save you a bundle. What they do is surprisingly simple. Since hot air rises, a destratification fan pushes the hot air at the top of the warehouse down to the floor of the warehouse. One of the most respected of these fans is manufactured by Big Ass Fans – yes, that’s really the company’s name(!).
By using these money saving tips, you will be surprised at the efficiencies your industrial company will realize.
The Industrial Team at ComReal is happy to assist businesses and owners in the leasing and sales of Industrial Properties. You can contact them at 786-433-2380.