Controlling Energy Costs for Storage Facilities

As energy costs and consumption rise, companies are searching for cost effective solutions for their energy needs. This particularly holds true for storage facilities, who usually feature a multileveled, climate-controlled building with outside lighting and elevators. Having all this equipment in one facility generates such a high utility bill that overhead becomes difficult to control. This case study from ASI Controls integrator Envirotrols Group highlights a success story from controlling and maintaining self-storage facilities. As of April 2014, Envirotrols Group has successfully implemented the below energy management system from ASI Controls in over 250 unique storage site locations.“To maximize our energy savings, we wanted to partner with a company that offered a web-based product that focused on monitoring and controlling the total energy consumption of our buildings. Telco Envirotrols provides that for us. By focusing on demand control, we are reducing our carbon footprint, lowering our operating costs, and improving our operating margins.  Also, by monitoring all HVAC units, we were able to reduce our maintenance cost by 28% with a savings of $44,000.”Envirotrols Group teamed up with Safeguard Self Storage Company to tackle its costly energy consumption. Envirotrols Group started with one multileveled facility in Bronx, NY and installed ASI Controls Energy Management controllers, ASI WebLink software, and Dent Power Scout™ power meters. ASI Controls WebLink web interface allowed the customer to monitor and manage its energy consumption through a web-based platform accessible anywhere via the internet. The storage facility in Bronx reached its ROI in 9 months, and maintained an energy reduction of 31+% after 21 months of being installed. The system enables the user to control and monitor all HVAC equipment and outside lighting. By developing a plan involving right setback schedules, occupancy set points, and demand control, significant reduction in cost is realized. The energy management system also provides information including live power data, current temperature readings, and humidity levels. It can also schedule lighting and HVAC operation. The storage facility in Bronx reached its ROI in 9 months, and maintained an energy reduction of 31+% after 21 months of being installed. The company realized savings in energy costs by year end through a 25% reduction in energy consumption with the Envirotrols Group’s energy management systems. The self-storage company expanded its energy reduction by installing the system in all 7 stores in NJ, NY and PA the summer of 2009.  After only three months, energy use (kWh) was cut by 42.7% and $24,988 savings was achieved. As a result of the proven cost savings, the self-storage company decided to further extend their energy saving control systems into all of their multilevel climate-controlled facilities, a total of 53 self-storage locations. The company realized savings in energy costs by year end through a 25% reduction in energy consumption with the Envirotrols Group’s energy management systems. Energy savings were tracked in the 32-38% range in FL, IL, NJ, NY and PA locations. Below are three graphs trending the reduction in electric usage, power cost, and kW demand for a self storage facility in Bronx, NY for the 1st year of Envirotrols Group energy management system. As Envirotrols demonstrates, the use of an ASI Controls energy management system can decrease facility overhead.

For more information on Envirotrols Group visit www.envirotrolsgroup.com or call 302.846.9103