The Importance of Saving Energy in a Facility
Saving energy in an industrial or commercial facility helps your wallet, helps the environment, and helps operations run smooth and efficiently. According to the United States Environment Protection Agency, 30 per cent of energy used in industrial and commercial facilities is used inefficiently or unnecessarily. This energy loss can be a result of different components including: air leakage, slow open/close cycles, damaged seals, and other unsuspecting energy wasters.
Proud Leader in Energy Saving Promotion
Lenworth has been recognized as a proud leader in the promotion of energy saving and efficiency in the industrial sector. Our high-quality products and educated team make us excellent consultants for energy saving techniques.
5 Energy Saving Techniques
1. Assess Damages
Energy is commonly lost or wasted in industrial and commercial facilities when equipment being used is damaged. A common damage that drains energy is a damaged weatherseal. A weatherseal is meant to reduce energy consumption by decreasing the transfer of hot or cool air from the exterior to the interior of the building.
A small damage such as a tear or a hole in a weatherseal is the equivalent of having a one foot hole in your facility wall. If your building does not already have a weatherseal installed, look into adding an efficient seal for enhanced energy conservation. A high-quality weatherseal can help:
• Reduce drafts from the outside environment
• Keep refrigerated goods protected from the outside environment
• Reduce energy costs
• Custom-fit to any door size
• Resist weather, resist punctures, & resist tears
2. Troubleshoot Equipment
Industrial facilities that use sophisticated electronic programming are at an advantage — if the equipment is working efficiently. If equipment is running less-efficiently than it could be, it can be a huge time and energy-waster in your building. Low-speed doors are an example of a piece of inefficient technology that cost energy, money, and time.
Installing a high-speed overhead door can reduce cycle time from 56 seconds to 5.6 seconds. This reduces the amount of unnecessary air loss from the facility. High-speed overhead doors can help:
• Improve operations efficiency
• Reduce heating and cooling costs
• Reduce impact of air leakage
3. Upgrade Electrical Programming
Technology has allowed for new energy-saving opportunities. Changing equipment over from manual to automatic can be expensive upfront and save money down the line. There are several upgrades you can make to your facility to help save energy long-term. A few easy programming upgrades include:
• Loops and motion sensors
• Automatic lights
• Control systems (better automation & programming)
4. Destratify Air
Air destratification involves the mixing of the internal air in a building to prevent the formation of stratified layers throughout the building. This ensures that the air you are paying to heat or cool is evenly distributed throughout the building envelope. The most energy-efficient and easy way to destratify air is to install an HVLS fan.
An HVLS fan helps reduce heating and cooling costs by distributing air flow more effectively. Proper air destratification helps to:
• Eliminate stratified layers of hot or cold air
• Increase building envelope comfort
• Reduce heating and cooling costs
5. Improve Building Envelope Characteristics
The building envelope is the separator between the conditioned and unconditioned environment of a building. A few ways to ensure your building envelope is up to standard is by upgrading insulation, installing secondary door curtains, ensuring doors close automatically, and assessing that there are no damages in seals, walls, or doors where air could escape.
An air-tight building envelope helps with:
• Reducing heating and cooling costs
• Reducing air leakage
• Keeping the building envelope comfortable for employees
• Keeping the building envelope comfortable for products and goods
Get More Information on Energy Saving Techniques
Lenworth has been recognized as a leader in promoting energy conservation after re-imagining industry standards and delivering energy saving performances across hundreds of facilities.
For more information on energy saving techniques that can save energy and save money in your industrial or commercial facility, contact a representative at Lenworth Building Services. It’s our mission to improve industrial facilities as a passionate and accredited commercial overhead door and industrial loading dock services company.
Sources:
Energy Star. “Fast Facts on Energy Use.” United States Environmental Protection Agency.
