Tight margins, long shifts and the pressure to keep goods moving can make energy use feel like background noise, until the bill lands.
For cold stores, a few degrees off can risk product quality; for busy sheds, a single fault can stall operations. The good news: most waste comes from familiar places, and there are straightforward ways to bring it under control without risking uptime.
Where energy slips away
- Lighting left on. Older high-bay fluorescents or metal halide fittings draw more power than needed, and lights often stay on in empty aisles.
- Refrigeration doing extra work. Warm air entering through doors, poor door discipline and blocked evaporator coils push systems to run harder for longer.
- Space heating and cooling. Tight temperature bands, poorly set thermostats and draughts at loading bays keep heaters and fans running constantly.
- Compressed air leaks. Tiny leaks, oversized compressors and higher-than-needed pressure waste electricity around the clock.
- Motors and conveyors. Fixed-speed drives on variable loads, worn belts and dry bearings add avoidable load.
- Charging and standby loads. Forklift charging at peak times, vending machines and office areas left on after hours all add up.
Practical fixes that pay back
- Switch to LED with smart control. LED high bays with occupancy and daylight sensors cut consumption and improve light quality. Set realistic lux levels rather than “as bright as possible”.
- Close the cold chain gaps. Fit rapid-roll doors or strip curtains where appropriate, keep door seals in good shape and review door-open times. Clean evaporator and condenser coils; align defrost schedules with actual frost build-up.
- Sort the set points. Widen temperature deadbands where product rules allow, then lock controls to prevent tinkering. In ambient areas, trim set points by a degree or two and monitor comfort.
- Hunt air leaks. An out-of-hours “listen and log” walk often finds the worst offenders around couplings, hoses and valves. Fix leaks, reduce pressure to the lowest workable level and isolate air to idle zones.
- Fit variable speed where loads vary. Fans, pumps and some conveyors don’t need full tilt all day. Variable speed drives help match speed to real demand.
- Charge smarter. Where your tariff allows, shift forklift charging away from peak periods. Stagger start times and keep chargers off when batteries are full.
- Stop draughts at the dock. Check dock shelters, levellers and brush seals. Air curtains can help on high traffic doors if sized and set correctly.
- Keep up the basics. Replace clogged filters, grease bearings, calibrate thermostats and keep sensors clear. A clean system runs cooler and lasts longer.
- Measure what matters. Add submeters to chillers, lighting and compressed air. Set alerts for abnormal spikes. A weekly ten-minute review often spots issues before they hit operations.
- Tune cold storage controls. Look for hot or cold spots and adjust fans or layouts so you’re not overcooling. Keep fridges clean and well-insulated, set defrost to run only when ice builds and use simple leak alarms to catch gas losses early.
- Check voltage and power quality. Ask an electrician to log your site’s voltage and confirm the three phases are even. Poor supply can strain motors and waste energy; a routine check will flag issues, especially on sites with lots of LED lighting and variable-speed kit.
Plan for short, mid and long term
Short term (0–3 months):
- Tidy up controls: reset timers, widen deadbands, introduce night setbacks.
- Low-cost fixes: repair door seals, patch draughts, fix compressed-air leaks.
- Quick wins: install occupancy sensors in low-use aisles and rooms; clean coils and filters.
- Baseline data: pull half-hourly meter data, label key circuits and set simple alerts.
Mid-term (3–12 months):
- Targeted upgrades: LED high bays with zoned control; variable speed drives on fans and pumps with varying loads.
- Refrigeration improvements: rapid-roll doors where they’ll matter most; review defrost strategy and maintenance regime.
- Behaviour changes: door-open rules, forklift charging schedules and short toolbox talks for teams.
- Monitoring: add submeters to major users and track KPIs such as door-open minutes, compressor run hours and lighting hours.
Long term (12+ months):
- Equipment refresh: plan for end-of-life replacements of compressors, chillers and boilers with higher-efficiency models.
- Building upgrades: roof or wall insulation in problem zones, improved dock shelters, better glazing for offices within the warehouse.
- On-site generation and flexibility: assess solar PV and battery storage where roof space and load profile justify it; review demand-response options with your supplier.
- Continuous improvement: formal reviews each quarter to retire quick fixes, confirm savings and prioritise the next round.
Reliability as the quiet win
Energy projects aren’t only about bills. Cleaner coils, steadier temperatures and healthier motors reduce unplanned stoppages. Better lighting can improve picking accuracy and safety. Tighter controls mean fewer quality holds. Treat each fix as insurance for uptime as much as a cost reduction.
If you’d like support to shape a short, mid and long-term plan that fits your site and your data, we can help. We’ll work with you to create priority actions and keep improvements on track so you can cut waste without risking reliability.