Energy Efficiency Guide for Colorado Businesses

Recommendations by Sector

WAREHOUSES

Energy Use

Overall, warehouses generally have lower illumination requirements as well as lower space conditioning requirements than do other building types. Accordingly, overall energy use is generally lower than for most other buildings. Warehouses are often ventilated sporadically, only partially heated, and rarely cooled. Energy for lighting is the largest use (68%), followed by ventilation and plug loads (24%), and miscellaneous (8%). (For energy-efficiency strategies for administrative areas, see Small Office Buildings.)

Measures that are frequently found to be cost-effective include the following:

Lighting

• Incorporate skylights and photocell controls. Standard 4-foot by 8-foot bubble skylights equal to 4 percent of the floor area are adequate in Colorado's sunny climate. Place skylights above warehouse isles to achieve best daylighting distribution.
• Install photosensors and occupancy controls to control electric lighting, and make sure they are carefully calibrated.
• Replace T-12 fixtures with T-8 or T-5 fixtures with electronic ballasts.
• Consider replacing metal halide and low-pressure sodium fixtures with T-5 fixtures.
• Provide task lighting controlled by occupancy sensors in narrow aisles to more efficiently illuminate tall storage racks. Mount fluorescent fixtures on storage racks to facilitate access to the storage aisles and avoid the need to install extra fixtures at the ceiling level.

HVAC

• Control heating, ventilating, and cooling systems as a function of occupancy and the needs of goods stored using automatic controls as appropriate.
• Use variable-speed drives, high-efficiency motors, and cast aluminum fan blades for ventilation fans, using demand control to adjust ventilation rates as needed.
• Install gas-fired infrared heaters instead of forced-air convection heating systems.
• If cooling is needed, install evaporative cooling systems in Colorado's dry climate.

Building Envelope

• Ensure that entry doors are weatherstripped and other sources of infiltration are carefully air-sealed.
• In particularly warm climate areas, consider installing an ENERGY STAR cool roof, even if the structure is not air conditioned, to improve comfort for warehouse workers and keep products stored from becoming too hot. Ventilating fans operating during cool nights can help control temperatures during hot days.

 

Funding for this Guide provided by:

Colorado Governor's Energy Office

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency - Region 8

Southwest Energy Efficiency Project

Recommendations for this and other sectors are available at www.coloradoefficiencyguide.com/recommendations.