Closing the energy gap

Over the last few years global energy prices have continued to be extremely volatile. The resulting fallout from conflict in Ukraine has seen prices soar by almost 60%, fuelled by the disruptions in oil and gas supply from Russia who were supplying the 12.3% of the world’s oil supply and 23.6% of its natural gas. 

New global challenges are adding to the uncertainty which means fluctuations in pricing and availability are likely to continue. These issues are largely out of an individual organisation’s control. What they can control, however, is energy wastage, and ensuring their operations are as energy efficient as possible.

Loading bay energy loss

One of the biggest areas of energy loss is in the warehouse, and especially at the loading bay.

Inefficient doors, trailer door hinge ‘gaps’ and dock leveller ‘gaps’ can all lead to a needless waste of energy. While each of these ‘gaps’ may appear small in isolation, cumulatively they represent a significant ‘hole’ which, if left unsealed, costs money through increased energy consumption. 

Further inside the facility, excessive energy is consumed by an abundance of ineffective floor and ceiling fans. Reducing the number of fans while improving the effectiveness of air movement can have a major impact on heating and cooling costs. If cold storage is part of the facility, inefficient freezer openings are also a major drain on energy use. 

As highlighted, the costs can be substantial: estimates vary, but the relatively simple act of sealing the gaps at the loading bay and an exposed leveller pit could mean a potential annual energy saving of anything up to several thousand Euro per dock position. Proper exterior doors with effective seals and cycle time speeds could save even more per opening, so the stakes are high.

Beyond the loading bay, interior air movement has a significant impact on heating and cooling, especially in a large facility, and the potential annual energy savings can be anywhere between 20-30%. 

Solutions are often simple. If you can see daylight though the loading bay seal when a vehicle is unloading, then equate it to the money it is costing you and the impact it is having on the internal environment. Poorly installed or maintained insulation on your loading bay doors and pedestrian walkway doors can also be a problem, whereas tracking the efficiency of any refrigerated areas or cooler/freezer areas over time so seals, panels, doors, or units can be flagged when issues arise is also essential.

Cooling/heating fans

Most people think of High Volume Low Speed (HVLS) fans as devices for keeping a facility cool in the hot summer months. It seems counter-intuitive – but true – that they also play a critical role in maintaining heat in winter. When the air moves in a conical shape, heat not only gets forced back down to where employees and products are, but it also keeps air flow steady throughout the room. Large-bladed fans have the power to move stagnant air approximately 85 ft. in every direction, helping to ensure even temperatures in every corner of a facility.

The issue of airflow is important because maintaining a constant airflow prevents the air conditioning units from kicking in unnecessarily and using wasted energy.

Working in a sweltering hot warehouse in the summer is not recommended, neither is freezing in the winter. Studies show that productivity can be directly linked to increased employee comfort. Additionally, comfort and safety work hand-in-hand during the colder months. 

There are several other areas in which businesses can look to improve energy efficiency. High-speed doors, for example, inside the facility mean less energy is lost and the temperatures in different climate zones are not affected. Streamlining your loading bay communication system allows a trailer driver to know exactly where to go and in turn could shorten the period of time where the dock doors are left open, saving on heating and cooling. Installing a timer on lighting or automatic equipment, saves energy when the room or the machine is no longer in use, while deploying new warehouse software can help you monitor and track energy output, so you can identify the biggest opportunities for savings.

New technologies are continually being developed, like new controls for large industrial fans, for example, that ensure the fans only operate when needed, reducing energy consumption and reducing costs. So, in the summer, when fans are in greater demand, they can be programmed to deliver the optimum performance, taking into account different working patterns and the busiest times of the day. 

Whatever you consider, an energy audit by a material handling expert can identify a wide range of options and possibilities in your plant or facility. 

Thorsten Mauritz is marketing manager at Rite-Hite Europe

For more information:

www.ritehite.com

Tel: +44 (0) 1795 842370