The cost of living has been steadily rising, having an adverse effect on businesses both big and small. One of the biggest challenges for businesses has been the continuing rise of energy costs, especially in the winter.
Industries such as manufacturing, automotive, and construction are particularly affected, having to look at ways to reduce their energy usage and keep their costs down.
Alongside this, both businesses and consumers are becoming more environmentally conscious, demanding products and services that are friendly to the environment and energy efficient.
One of the most significant contributions to energy loss is heating. Large open spaces, such as warehouses and factories are extremely difficult to heat.
These kinds of environments also tend to have loading bays, where a large door must always be open to allow traffic, such as forklifts, pedestrians, and vehicles through. This usually means there is a constant draught.
Not only does the cold sap costs from a business, but it can also cause discomfort to staff, decreasing productivity and morale.
The use of heaters and heat fans can help but the costs will be huge, considering that large open spaces not only struggle to be heated but also struggle to retain heat.
Heat retention is just as, if not more important, than the heating system itself. Retaining the heat in a warehouse will help to reduce energy costs and lessen the impact on any heaters or fans in place, reducing costs overall.
There are a few ways to retain heat and reduce heat loss, each with its own advantages and disadvantages:
Insulated doors – Thermal insulated doors are an energy-efficient solution; however, they can be costly when it comes to installation. Also, insulated doors are only ideal for when the business is closed for the day as they can help to retain heat throughout the night. However, during the day (especially in loading areas) the doors will be open, meaning that heat isn’t being retained.
Automatic doors – Doors that open automatically can help, but again, these will cost significantly more than a standard insulated door.
PVC strip curtains – PVC strip curtains are a cost-effective way to help retain heat in a warehouse. Unlike insulated doors, they are simple to install and require very little maintenance.
Improve heat retention – Strip curtains can be hung over an open loading bay door, reducing heat loss, but still allowing for easy access for vehicles, pedestrians, and forklifts.
Durable – Strip curtains are made from durable PVC and can withstand cold winter weather. Different strip curtains also work better for different environments. Polar PVC Strip Curtains can withstand cold environments and are resistant to cracking from frost, while Buffer PVC strip curtains are ideal for environments where forklifts are frequently used.
Cost-saving – PVC strip curtains can significantly reduce energy costs by preventing the loss of conditioned air from a building. The strip curtains fall back into place once passed through, meaning that any open doorway is still covered. This reduces the impact on heaters and fans.
Easy maintenance – PVC strips require very little maintenance. Each strip comes with a fitted plate, meaning that a damaged strip can be quickly changed without having to replace the entire curtain.
Versatile – PVC strip curtains are suitable for use in all types of environments, from industrial warehouses to cold storage. They can be made to measure any doorway, big or small, forming a barrier in any space.
In industrial premises, large open spaces are often spilt into sections for specific business areas. If two areas require different temperatures, it can be difficult to maintain. PVC strip curtains are ideal for these kinds of environments.
PVC strip curtains have thermal insulation properties, meaning that it’s possible to store equipment that requires different temperatures in the same warehouse.
Lighting is an essential part of any warehouse and can be a significant source of energy consumption if not managed properly. Motion sensors can help reduce lighting costs by turning off lights when no movement is detected in certain areas.
PVC strip curtains can provide a number of benefits to your business, from pest control to noise reduction. Find out what benefits PVC strip curtains can bring to your business.
It’s important to make sure you’re picking the right PVC type for your environment. We’ve put together a handy guide to make it all the easier to find your ideal strip curtains for your application.
Alongside this, if installing and maintaining strip curtains seems daunting, we’ve also laid out the process in another guide detailing how to install and maintain your PVC strip curtains so you can get the most out of them.
If you’re looking to save your business energy, we have a wide range of strip curtains, suited for a variety of applications.
Feel free to email us at sales@copely.com or call us at 0116 240 1500 for a free quote.
