Latest trends in energy-efficient and money-saving storage solutions
In today’s world, it’s becoming mandatory for every aspect of the business to be as energy-efficient and money-saving as possible.
And it’s completely understandable – in this tough economy, everybody’s trying to do more with less. There’s an environmentally-friendly aspect to this story as well, so you can see why saving energy and being aware of your environment is crucial for any kind of business. The same goes for storages and warehouses – there are plenty of ways to make them smarter, greener, and more efficient.
Upgrading the forklift fleet
We all know that a forklift fleet is essential for every warehouse because it makes moving goods so much easier. However, traditional forklifts are not really eco-friendly but now you can replace with electric ones that run on hydrogen fuel cells and thus reduce your warehouse’s carbon footprint. They emit nothing but water vapor while refilling hydrogen cells is pretty fast, so updating your forklift fleet is only a logical thing to do. Unlike standard batteries, hydrogen fuel cells emit the same level of power through the day, so all you need to do is hire someone to maintain them and you’ll be good to go.
Making use of technology
Software designed storage applications and storage virtualization will pretty soon become a norm for all of those who are in a business that requires a warehouse. It’s a nifty way to make use of modern technology and reduce the amount of storage hardware as well as its energy footprint. This is like a revolution in traditional storage solutions since it can result in maximizing the amount of data that can be stored on a minimum number of storage products and minimizing the energy use at the same time.
Going vertical
When it comes to saving space, a good old trick will always be a great choice – simply go vertical. It’s a way to combat high land costs because that’s how you can maximize the space you have. You can also reduce transportation costs since multi-story warehouses can be operated in urban areas thus shortening the transit time to the customers. Finally, you can lower down the environmental impact of your storage. You can make your warehouse multi-story or you can opt for a modern pallet racking solution with racking that can stack up on top of each other and make the most out of the space you have.
Updating the lighting system
Just like in your home, one of the easiest ways to cut down energy bills is to update the lighting system. It’s really important what kind of light bulbs you’ll choose for your storage. Traditionally used, mercury vapor bulbs cast off a bluish, cone-shaped light which puts the items high in the racks in shadow. This is not really efficient, not to mention the fact that these kinds of bulbs need several minutes to achieve full brilliance meaning that they use a lot of energy as well. To make your lighting system more efficient, opt for fluorescent lights and arrange them horizontally for the best results.
As you can see, making your storage efficient is not hard – all you need to do is to embrace new technologies, update your existing features, and be open to new ideas. It will not only be good for the environment but also for your wallet, so just go ahead – make your warehouse energy-efficient!
