Undoubtedly, you’ve come across an article about green technology or heard about the competition down the street who just installed solar panels.
Environmentally friendly technology has a lot of stigma around it. It’s too expensive. It’s unreliable. I wouldn’t get enough of a return on my investment. But are any of these claims true?
Green technology has been slowly nudging its way into the self storage industry for a while now, but why haven’t we seen exponential green technology growth? One of the main reasons is, well, because it isn’t free!
We’re going to break down the risk and rewards of a few prominent self storage green technologies, so you can decide if going green is worth the green!
LED lighting
LED lighting is a no-brainer when it comes to using green technology.
Your initial investment is only barely more than regular lighting options, but in some cases, LED lighting can last up to 10x longer than regular lighting.
Did you hear that? Your LED investment will pay itself off almost immediately.
Aside from having an amazing shelf life and being cost-efficient, LED lighting is significantly brighter than most other lighting. This not only makes your facility bright and inviting but it makes your tenants feel safer when they’re storing.
Proportionally, LED lights have more lumens than incandescent lighting. In fact, just a 22-watt LED bulb will give off around 1,600 lumens, whereas a 60-watt incandescent light bulb gives half of that!
That’s too powerful and affordable to ignore.
If you want to make your facility more sustainable but don’t want to sacrifice savings, LED lights are the obvious solution!
LED lighting will:
Solar power
It’s virtually impossible to talk about green technology without talking about solar panels.
According to SSA’s article “Looking Ahead” by Mark Wright, a staggering portion of new facilities are being built with green technology. Mark writes “They’re capitalizing on two converging trends: the need to build higher on smaller plots of land, and the appetite for solar panels.”
It seems like everyone is divided on the issue, some are adamant believers in the cost-effective sustainability of solar power, and others are a little more skeptical about the subject.
Who is right? Is anybody?
Let’s break down the cost.
The cost approximately ranges from $5,000-35,000 to install solar panels on the average home. This probably sounds expensive, especially when you consider how much bigger your facility is in comparison.
The good news: the price has gone down in just the last 5 years alone, by a lot!
As the technology becomes more advanced, it becomes easier to produce, meaning you’re getting much more for your dollar. It’s no small investment, but the payback can be huge!
Look for tax credits!
Odds are your state has some kind of solar power incentive program. In fact, you can get up to a 30% tax return on the cost of your investment from the federal government.
Not only could you get immediate returns on your investment from tax credits, but you’ll also be saving a lot of money with electricity costs. Let’s not forget the reason they were invented, to give you some self-reliance!
It’s also worth considering what this investment can do for your brand.
A facility that promotes its green technology, especially solar power, is going to be received as premium and evolving. Showing your current and future tenants that you’re willing to make big changes can go a long way for your brand.
If you’re building a new facility, there’s no better time to invest in solar power than right now! The long-term savings will far outweigh the initial investment, and your branding will be new, clean, and innovative.
Rainwater harvesting
That’s right, free water! Rainwater harvesting is one of the quickest returns on investment when it comes to introducing green technology into your facility.
Having a rainwater harvesting system on the roof of your facility takes away your dependence on water utilities. An average rainwater harvesting system for industrial use can hold up to 400 gallons of water! That’s more than enough for your employees and tenants to have what they need.
Want to talk numbers? Let’s talk numbers.
The average estimate of savings for a facility that collects rainwater ranges from $500-700 a month! That is a constant and immediate return on your investment.
Before you get too excited, laws differ on rainwater harvesting from state to state. It’s important you know what is permitted in your area.
For the majority of people, it is easily available! And it’s a simple, effective way to go green and immediately start paying yourself back!
What are the benefits of harvesting rainwater?
There are so many ways to invest in sustainable technology for your facility.
From upgrading HVAC systems to investing in stronger insulation. Green technology has the trend of being a large upfront cost, with a huge return on investment over time.
Green technology is a long game.
Going into these investments, it’s important to understand that you won’t get that money back immediately, but over time, if you stick with it, you’ll find that you’re saving more than you ever spent!
What it all boils down to, does your facility need long terms investments or immediate fixes?
Green technology is an investment that pays for itself, with the right patience!
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