Climate Change: Save Energy Using Strip Curtains

Recent scientific research has shown that our planet is the hottest it has ever been in the last 115,000 years due to the effects of climate change. This means that as a society we need to invest heavily in technological advances in order to prevent us from doing any more damage to the earth. A recent paper written by a former NASA scientist states that there is a common misconception that we have started to address the climate problem, which is simply not the case and more needs to be done to reduce emissions over the next few years.

But, what does this have to do with us? Well, as a company who provide plastic door curtains for home and industrial use, we have plenty of experience in rising energy costs, and we believe that our plastic strip curtains are one of the most economical energy saving solutions you can use. If you are an industrial unit which relies on keeping products cold, like a food processing plant for example, then keeping your walk-in coolers or warehouse at the optimum temperature will require energy. Every time a door is opened to the outside world, the temperature fluctuates and your energy costs rise, as does your business’s carbon footprint.

One thing many people fail to understand about refrigeration is that it is not about putting cold air into the area, it is about removing heat from the area. So, every time you open the door, warmth and moisture air gets into the area, and you have to spend money on trying to remove that heat from the air. If your area is a freezer, that moisture can end up as frost, meaning you then have to spend money de-frosting the area.

This is where thermal curtains in the guise of plastic door curtains come in. These flexible PVC strips hang in your doorway without getting in your way and can decrease the amount of infiltration dramatically. Conservative estimates state that strip doors are 65% effective at keeping the inside temperature regular. In America, the use of this energy saving solution can actually help companies to get 'LEED' credits - with LEED standing for 'Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design'. In fact, the American Government are so focused on the reduction of wasting energy, they have now passed a law that insists that all walk-in freezers or coolers that are manufactured after 2009 must have strip doors or spring hinged doors included in order to minimise air infiltration. We don't think it will be long before a similar law is passed in the UK.

It is hard to calculate exactly how much money the installation of strip curtains will save you, as each scenario is different. You will need to think about the approximate heat loss from the open doorway, how much energy was used to create the heated air, how much money was spent on the energy, and how much money the strip curtain would therefore have saved you. Strip curtains for a typical walk-in door usually cost about £100, which is an investment you will more than likely recoup in energy savings in a very short period. You also get the added benefit of keeping moisture out of your area as well. Worth spending the money on, don't you think?

For more information on our plastic door curtains for home and industrial use, please call us on 0333 999 7171 or drop us an email to info@stripcurtainsdirect.co.uk