What Are The Top 3 Ways In Which Shopping Malls Become Energy Efficient?

Shopping centers use energy in many different ways, depending on the services and products offered by each outlet operating at the shopping facility. Therefore, energy use is an integral part of the operational costs of running a business in shopping malls. Significant efforts should be made to minimize or eliminate avoidable energy losses. Shopping centers have different outlets, such as medical clinics, supermarkets, swimming pools, offices, hotels, hair salons, and retail stores.

Given the uniqueness of each operation in the space, energy-saving and conservation methods implemented in each situation differ slightly. This blog shares a few tips that shopping malls can adopt to achieve optimal energy efficiency for industry .

1. 1. Lighting

Lighting in shopping centers can be well-designed to save energy. In the case of an existing mall, a few modifications/retrofitting can be carried out. Here are some of the back-of-the-hand ways of decreasing energy consumption in lighting:

Yo. Change old fluorescent lights to new LED lights. They use less energy and save money. An LED light that uses 18 watts gives the same light as a 36-watt fluorescent light. It takes about 13 months to save enough money for the LED lights.

ii. If some rooms are too bright, remove some lights. Too much light is wasteful. A professional can check how much light is needed in a room. They can remove extra lights to save energy.

iii. Use sunlight instead of electric lights during the day. Open the curtains and let sunlight enter the room. This saves energy and money.

iv. Use different switches for different parts of a big office. This way, only the parts being used will have lights on. Other parts will stay dark, saving energy.

v. Put motion sensors in rooms like cloakrooms. When no one is there, the lights will automatically turn off. This saves energy.

saw. Use solar panels to power lights, especially for outdoor lights like security lights or lights in parking areas. Before starting, check if solar panels are good for your building.

1. 2.Heating Applications

2. In a shopping center, heating is used to generate hot water for washing, cooking, heating space, and much more. Selection of the heating appliance and the heating source is instrumental in energy efficiency and conservation. Ovens, frying machines, boilers, steam generators, furnaces, irons, cookers, microwaves, electric kettles, toasters, and room heaters are some of the appliances used for heating in several facilities in shopping malls. Some of the measures that will help malls ensure energy efficiency for industry include:

• Replace electric boilers with solar water heating systems for significant cost savings.
• Turn off idle microwaves to reduce power consumption.
• Switch off unused ovens; install compartment switches for efficiency.
• Consider gas alternatives for electric appliances for cost-effectiveness.
• Ensure functional thermostats on heating elements to prevent waste.
• Assess the feasibility of heat pumping for water heating to cut electricity bills.

1. 3. Ventilation and Air Conditioning Systems

Air conditioning involves many things, such as cooling, heating, ingress, and egress of air from a controlled space. Electric fans, pumps, heaters, and compressors are the major energy-consuming equipment in the systems. Shopping malls can save energy by using air conditioning systems and ventilation efficiently. The following measures can be taken to improve energy efficiency for industry - 

• Implement temperature controllers to stop compressor operation, reducing energy consumption.
• Ensure full occupancy of cold rooms/fridges to avoid economic losses.
• Maintain appropriate cooling temperatures to minimize compressor workload.
• Avoid domestic refrigerators with internal fans for efficiency.
• Replace fluorescent tubes with LEDs in fridge lighting to reduce power usage.
• Position compressors near cold rooms to optimize efficiency.

The Bottom Line

Shifting to solar power can save shopping malls a lot of money and achieve energy efficiency for industry . Solar energy comes from the sun, so it's free and won't ever run out. The experts at Keiken Engineering know in-depth about solar power and can make it simple for malls to switch. With their help, malls can spend less money on electricity and help the environment simultaneously. It's a smart choice for saving on bills and protecting the planet. Contact the team today and get help from professionals to get started.