All the retail stores consume a significant amount of energy and you have to think of different ways to curtail such enormous energy utilization. It is extremely essential for the sustainability of the business and improving your revenue. Retail stores like supermarkets, fashion boutiques or car dealerships have a similar need for energy resources. Saving energy in these retail stores is directly related to the social impact of the local community as well. Improving the energy efficiency of these stores and saving energy is important for both the consumer and economic providers. 

Different studies have suggested that on an average a medium range retail store has an operational hour of over 90 hours a week. The Department of Energy, United States of America has confirmed this statistic. This accounts for the daily energy use of over 13 hours of refrigeration, air conditioning, lighting and other electrical appliances. Such consumption requires a huge amount of energy.

Apply the simple below mentioned techniques to save considerable energy and increase your profit subsequently. This will also help you reduce the environmental impact of your store, lower the overall utility expenses and enhance the social impact of your store in the local community. So, go green by implementing the following ideas this year at your retail store.

Use of energy efficient lighting may contribute a significant change in your expenditure towards electricity. Never install lights other than LEDs (light emitting diode) and CFLs (compact fluorescent lamp). Traditional lamps consume too much of energy. If you need bright lights on showcases, use fluorescent lights with minimum glare. Consider installing solar powered lamps that may save you up to 40% of your electricity bills while decreasing carbon emission by 65%. Also, consider maximum utilization of sunlight by installing enough skylights and windows if your space allows for it.

You can easily manage your lighting arrangements inside the store and display lightings by scheduling them according to store timings. A programmable weekly digital timer switch setup can take care of this easily. The manual process of daily switching on/off the lighting arrangement will be completely eliminated at your store. This will also save manpower and there will be no chance of mistakes or errors. There are other helpful features like pulse programs, holiday scheduling, and full auto change the daylight saving time. You can also re-adjust the lighting arrangements whenever necessary according to the changes in your store schedule.

You can similarly use digital time switch control the other electrical elements such as the backlit merchandise, outdoor signage, and video screens to promote efficient control and energy saving. You can maintain a flawless schedule of in-store lightings and other electrical elements for 365 days using a quality digital photo-control.

Apart from lighting and display boards, retail stores have other electrical devices depending on the type of business they are conducting. If you are having a different food-oriented retail business like grocery stores or cafes then there are various energy-consuming electrical appliances that you may want to control. For all types of retail stores, there are also heating and cooling needs which cost a lot. All these appliances also cause a considerable environmental impact. For a food retailer, the cost for the maintenance of refrigeration unit can account for around 16% of the total monthly expenditure on utility services. These are thus the smart areas to look upon if you want to improve the energy efficiency of your store and subsequent business profit.

You can install various automatic digital time switches in refrigeration and freezer systems which will allow you to save significant energy consumption required for the maintenance of an optimal level of refrigeration. This will also mean you will have to run fewer refrigerators at a time. Consistent application of time switch on your refrigeration unit can save you 30% of the running time of these units per day. You can easily estimate the amount of cost savings it means for your business over a year apart from its positive impact on the environment.

Similarly, you can use time switches for your heating or cooling systems, coffee machines (if applicable), dishwashers (if applicable) and other appliances to reap the reward of huge savings.

The programmable time switches are great ways to reduce energy costs as they allow scheduling the air conditioners or heating systems of your store to attain the predetermined temperatures. Ensure the store temperature to be comfortable when you are opening the store. Then allow it to ease up as the day progress and when the time is to close the shop. This way it is possible to save about 15% of energy on cooling and heating by altering the temperature by up to 10 - 15 degrees when there is no occupancy inside the store. Depending on the need for cooling or heating you can paint the roof white or black to reflect or absorb heat from sunlight and save energy needs to run the air conditioners or heaters.

Another environment-friendly and energy saving opportunity is to use the right appliances in your store. Install highly rated energy star appliances to reduce energy expenditure. Save water by installing water-efficient sinks and toilets. It has been noted that you can save 60% water by replacing old sinks and toilets with the water efficient ones. You can also install composting toilet where there is no need to use water. Use time switch controlled water pumps along with these changes to maximize water and energy savings. Such changes can really make your retail store stand out from the others in terms of energy efficiency and green technology.

Saving energy will get you more than just increased profit. As you will contribute to the environment by saving energy, it will offer you tax benefits as well. Encourage your employees to join in your green drive and make the transition smoother. Their support will help you achieve the result you are looking for. Educate the employees on green technologies and why it is important to implement them in the store. They may come up with ideas that will further boost your energy saving plan. 

Just follow these basic principles you can create a positive impact on the environment and boosts your business profit. Contact our team today to be sure the energy saving through time switches and other green initiatives to get your business on the right track.