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and you could be heating 20-degree air all winter long. With an intelligent building
management system, you could quickly pinpoint the problem and deploy an engineer
immediately to fix it.
6. HVLS (high-volume, low-speed) fans
Even during hot summers in Fort Worth, Texas, a leading retailer’s one-million-
square foot DC hardly taps into its air-conditioning system. That’s because the company
installed an integrated fan control system that uses 26 high-volume, low-speed (HVLS)
networked warehouse fans with 72 cm diameters to cool indoor temperatures.
Designed to move massive columns of air at low speeds, HVLS fans can help
regulate a facility’s temperature year-round from floor to ceiling. It permits facilities to
increase or decrease thermostat temperature settings between 3 degrees and 5 degrees
without realising any negative temperature changes.
By networking the fans, they can be easily controlled and monitored from a
centralised location. Savings can range from 12% to 50% in cooling and heating costs,
while providing employees with a more comfortable work environment.
7. Define goals first
With so many initiatives to choose from, first define goals. Why sustainability is
pursued? Is it to reduce energy costs or is it to make a statement that’s consistent the
company goals? Never rule out an initiative because of a preconceived notion that it
might cost too much money. Many times the incremental cost is not as much as people
think it’s going to be.
5.4.9 Reasons to invest in a sustainable warehouse
The incorporation of sustainable practices into warehouse and distribution centre
design has proven to be a winning strategy for business. Warehouse designs incorporating
sustainability alleviate harmful effects on our environment while encouraging worker
security and comfort level. Sustainable warehouses earn respect from customers and
community members. Moreover, they lower a company’s operating costs and ultimately
improve a company’s profit margins. More specifically, there are five reasons to invest in
a sustainable warehouse [3]:
1. Ensure reliable access to energy
The energy sources that a company uses directly impact the surrounding
community’s quality of life. Approximately 20% of the world’s population is living
without direct access to electricity. People forced to contend with this circumstance have
limited access to conventional education. Consequently, citizens of these communities
have few options for economic and social development.
Moreover,somecommunitiesthathaveaccesstoelectricitymaylacktheinfrastructure
needed to create a more stable energy grid. Energy interruptions at a company’s warehouse
or distribution centre often negatively impact commercial operations and could possibly
endanger lives.
Sustainable warehouses provide more reliable electricity access since power is
produced on the actual worksite – meaning products kept in these warehouses can be