What should we take into account for the construction of a sustainable warehouse?
The search for sustainable construction solutions for industrial use has become increasingly common, which in addition to having less environmental impact, reduce construction, maintenance, operating and energy costs. Storage spaces such as warehouses and warehouses are among the main buildings in search of sustainability, since waste, energy costs for refrigeration and lighting can be reduced by storing products, articles and raw materials in spaces built with intelligent construction materials and under a specialized architectural development.
The objective of sustainable construction is to rationalize energy consumption, natural resources, minimize the generation of waste and subsequently manage it properly, in addition to being friendly to the environment and managing adequate maintenance of biodiversity from construction to operation of the building. .
Sustainability must be incorporated from the design during the development of the architectural project, functionality, the best performance of resources such as sunlight and self-regulating temperature construction systems.
Mainly, the energy consumption of the warehouse or warehouse must be considered; since it is directly related to the level of CO 2 emissions. Most of the energy consumed is used for thermal control of the environment inside the building, to have a lower or higher temperature than outside, depending on the climate in the geographical area and the products stored. Representing between 30%-70% of the total energy.
Considering this, more and more companies resort to the implementation of electric power generators, instead of the distribution network; most of the time generators are based on fossil fuels, which can cause greenhouse gas emissions to increase the company’s carbon footprint. To reduce this, you can opt for the use of alternative energies, such as solar panels or wind generators, in the same way, the use of suitable thermoacoustic construction systems to avoid temperature loss inside the cellar.
Another aspect that must be taken into account for the sustainability of a warehouse is water consumption. According to each industry, warehouses can consume high volumes of water to maintain a suitable environment for the materials used. To try to reduce water consumption, there may be many factors to take into account, such as the installation of high-quality pipes to prevent water leaks, the installation of water-saving taps and outlets, and the use of wastewater recycling systems.
The sustainable design of a warehouse integrates the development of the architectural project, the planning and execution of the work, following the guidelines of the bioclimatic design, to respond to the necessary conditions to be environmentally safe and that is based on the use of natural sources and the sustainable water consumption.
The benefits of a sustainable design are having a better economic and social balance for warehouses and warehouses, a better integration with the landscape, lower production costs, lower operating costs, savings in energy, water and other natural resources and having a better image. brand name that identifies its environmental commitment.
It is the control of humidity, especially in the agricultural sector, where humidity can affect the quality of products. To control both temperature and humidity, the size of the cellar is a very important factor, so the smaller it is, the easier it will be to control them sustainably.
Similarly, it is recommended that warehouses and warehouses be closed, that is, avoid the construction of unnecessary windows and doors, so that there is no aeration and sudden variations in temperature. The orientation of the cellar is also a very important factor so that sunlight is not a factor that affects temperature control.
The materials used for construction, mainly the walls and their coatings, must have adequate thermal insulation, be easily washable to prevent the appearance of mold and the generation of bacteria.
Building a sustainable warehouse has many advantages, both for the preservation of stored products and for companies. The savings in operating and construction costs can be reinvested in other areas that your company requires, in addition to being environmentally friendly, which is very important in these times, where the impact of construction and human activities is increasingly elder.
