A large segment of the food and beverage warehousing industry involves the cold storage of perishable goods—from milk and ice cream to meat and poultry. However, cold storage facilities are expensive to operate, considering energy costs for refrigeration, lighting and the material handling equipment used within the facility. Furthermore, there is an increased need for refrigeration capacity to offset heat loads generated by this equipment.
At a time when warehouses are looking to run as lean (and sometimes green) as possible, this energy usage adds up to substantial operational costs. On top of that, increasing inventory levels are exerting pressure on cold storage providers to expand their facilities, which is easier said than done due to land availability and escalating real estate prices.