Four Steps to Achieving Active Energy Management

Step 2: Fix the Basics

When they realize that facility-wide energy usage requires attention, some warehouse and DC managers elect to address the easiest fixes first. This can include installing more energy-efficient lighting fixtures and luminaires, increasing insulation, or deploying power factor correction devices. While these tactics can translate into substantial savings, continuous energy improvement over the lifecycle of the facility and changing conditions should be the ultimate goal, which is best facilitated through automation and regulation.

Step 3: Automate Where Appropriate

The nature of warehouses and DCs requires facility managers to look at both the building envelope and its processes when planning and implementing a strategic energy management plan. The good news is there are automation options for both that create energy and cost savings that are more substantial than passive measures. Lighting control systems, for example, can automatically turn interior and exterior building lights on and off based on a pre-set schedule, instead of relying on personnel (including facility managers) to remember.

But perhaps the most crucial components for any warehouse or DC are motors. On the facility side, motors power everything from the pumps and fans for the facility’s water and HVAC systems, respectively, while on the process side, conveyors simply won’t run without them. Fortunately, automation technologies can adjust motor and energy usage, which can translate into significant savings.

For example, a conveyor system may turn on and off hundreds of times throughout a typical shift. Every time it starts, the current in-rush to the motor that powers the conveyor may spike at 2A before settling back to operational amperage of 1A. However, application of a variable frequency drive or an electronic soft starter can limit that current spike to perhaps 1.2A. Significant savings can be realized when that action is compounded over time with all motors that power processes within a facility. On the facility side, deploying variable frequency drives to slow down motors in conjunction with dampers to alter the building’s airflow can significantly increase the energy efficiency of an HVAC system.

Sometimes, automation can be used to change habits in a warehouse or DC. Consider the fact that many facilities have begun using lift trucks with AC motor technology; obviously, the batteries that power those vehicles must be charged. Deciding to do so when the local utility is facing peak demand will drive up energy costs, so an appropriate solution could be using a remotely operated circuit breaker to prevent charging. The combination of a programmable logic controller (PLC) and a human-machine interface (HMI) could also be used to remind the operator about appropriate charging times later in the shift (when peak demand has passed). Red and green stack lights could also be used as visual cues.

These measures facilitate an active approach to energy management because they can be adjusted based on new energy efficiency opportunities that arise in the future. One recent example is demand response, a scenario where a facility owner or manager signs an agreement with the local utility to receive a signal from the utility when electrical rates reach a preset ceiling.

Step 4: Control

A strategic energy management plan helps ensure energy and cost savings don’t erode over time. Power meter installations, monitoring services, energy efficiency analysis and energy bill verfication can all help achieve this end, but one of the most effective ways is through an enterprise energy management (EEM) system, a tool that delivers business intelligence to company stakeholders, including employees, investors and customers.