How to Save Energy While Operating Loading Bays – Daily Business

There are over 5 billion parcels delivered every year in the UK, with the vast majority of them passing either in or out of loading bays at some point during transit. Companies using these bays include everything from small-scale retailers to international logistics businesses. One thing that all these enterprises have in common is that they will all be impacted by the energy crisis. 

Loading bays can be significant drains, but that also means they have potential to be the venue for powerful business energy savings. This article will share some ways that this part of a business can use less energy, ranging from the importance of routine loading bay maintenance to methods for building better thermal barriers. 

Improving loading bay insulation & air sealing

One of the biggest causes of energy drainage in loading bays is the fact that heated or cooled air is lost every time the door opens, which happens constantly. The solution? Using loading bay barriers, seals, shelters and other gap-closing elements to reduce leakage. 

• Dock seals use compression foam to seal up the gaps between fleets or trailers with the doors and building structures that they load into. 
• Dock shelters enclose the full gap around the back of trailers, using flexible or inflatable curtains to minimise any air exchange. 
• Dock leveler sealing, which can take the form of brushes or flexible plastic help gaps get sealed snugly.
• Loading bay doors themselves can be replaced or enhanced, with sectional overhead doors being known for high R-values and general insulation. 
• Installing high-speed doors in around loading bays can also reduce air leakage and save energy. 

Handling insulation is likely to be one of the most significant things you do for your bay’s overall energy performance, so make sure not to neglect it. 

The importance of loading bay maintenance and discipline

It’s not all about your loading bay’s relationship with the outside world. Understanding how to properly use and care for your loading bay equipment can also have a significant impact on how much energy you’re using, and indeed wasting. 

Booking in maintenance

Older, slower loading bay lifts, doors and levellers aren’t just costing you time, they’re also adding to your energy drain. For one, poorly functioning equipment tends to use more energy anyway. Secondly, it can also mean more time is spent allowing air leakage to take place. Regular maintenance will ensure equipment works better and more efficiently, while also helping to offset expensive replacements. 

Operational discipline

Staff training should be clear and expressive in terms of establishing good, disciplined habits, such as: 

• Minimising door open time, ensuring its only open when the trailer is secure and ready to receive the leveler
• Ensuring everything is turned off properly and locked down effectively at the end of the day.
• Setting an agreed upon temperature on the thermostat and not messing around with it independently. 
• Stage goods carefully for quick loading, minimising the opportunity for wasted open door time during loads. 
• No unnecessary or irresponsible equipment usage is an essential for both energy saving and proper health and safety.

All the insulation in the world won’t save you if you’re operating shoddy equipment with under-trained staff, so make sure to spend plenty of time with both of these things. 

Balance the technical with the human to save energy in loading bays

If you’re running a loading bay and need to keep the energy crisis from becoming a crisis to your business specifically, you have to invest plenty of time into insulation, proper equipment care and human talent. Each of these can fall flat and become a wasted practice without the others, so make sure to take a comprehensive approach to truly optimise your loading bay energy usage.