Going green or making eco-friendly choices to reduce your warehouse energy consumption isn’t just about taking care of the planet or meeting Tier 4 emission requirements . For small businesses, even slight changes to reduce energy consumption can result in significant cost savings.
Here are a few easy ways to capitalize on cost-saving sustainable warehouse practices:
REPLACE OUTDATED EQUIPMENT
If your old ICE lift trucks are still running, you may wonder if it’s worth the cost to update. In most cases, it is. New ICE forklifts from leading warehouse equipment manufacturers, like Hyster and Yale, meet Tier 4 emission requirements, burn cleaner, and offer a substantial reduction in fuel consumption compared to older models. And, unless your business has a specific need for a diesel forklift, it’s worth considering a switch to electric. New model electrics forklifts offer impressive lift capacities of up to 10,000 pounds and are zero emission. Electric forklifts are typically more expensive than ICE lift trucks upfront but have less downtime and lower lifetime maintenance costs.
SHUT DOWN WHEN NOT IN USE
If your operations aren’t running 24/7, your equipment shouldn’t either. Make it a requirement that all equipment is powered down after the last shift of the day. Conveyors or automatic storage and retrieval systems, for example, should be put into sleep mode or turned off when not in use to avoid wasting energy and putting unnecessary wear on the equipment components. Timers or load sensors can automate this process to ensure they aren’t forgotten.
SWITCH TO ZONE LIGHTING
Proper lighting is a must for worker safety in the warehouse, but often florescent lighting is left on when not needed. Zone lighting allows overhead lights to be turned on in specific areas of your warehouse instead of lighting the entire facility. Using timers or occupancy sensors, limit the electricity costs by lighting only the areas where employees are actively working.
Taking just a few steps to reduce your warehouse energy consumption will help you achieve a more sustainable warehouse and lower your operations costs. For more tips on green warehouse practices or for a free consultation, contact the experts at Engineered Products, a Papé Company.
