How Stor-Age is building a sustainable future
As South Africa’s largest self storage company, we recognise the role that we play in protecting the environment and uplifting the communities in which we operate. It’s something that we take seriously, and as such we have many initiatives in place to help us achieve this.
One main area of focus for us is environmental sustainability. The word “sustainable” gets thrown around a lot but what does it mean? What makes a company sustainable? In this post we unpack what sustainability means in the self storage industry, the progress that Stor-Age has made in this area, and what the future looks like for the company in terms of unlocking a greener future.
What is sustainability in self storage?
Sustainability in the context of self storage companies refers to environmental initiatives, resource efficiency and the adoption of green business practices.
Some key aspects include:
Energy-efficient buildings
Constructing self storage properties with features like automated climate and lighting controls, high-efficiency HVAC systems, ample insulation and motion sensor lighting; and installing solar panels help to minimise a building’s ecological footprint.
Water conservation
Companies can install low-flow plumbing fixtures, drought-resistant landscaping and rainwater harvesting infrastructure to collect water for gardens — all to reduce water usage.
Waste minimisation
Self storage companies can reduce waste by implementing recycling programs for tenants’ waste, reusing storage containers and packing supplies, and following sustainable waste disposal practices.
Renewable supplies
By procuring green cleaning supplies, renewable construction materials, and eco-friendly packing materials, a self storage company can be a lot more sustainable.
Our long-term strategy is built around developing environmentally friendly buildings with low environmental impact. We have a variety of initiatives in place in the areas of energy efficiency, renewable energy generation, CO2 emission reduction, rainwater harvesting, stormwater management, wastewater management, fuel consumption and conservation.
Investment in solar
Green buildings start with electricity generated off-grid; this is especially important in South Africa in terms of energy supply and sustainability.
Did you know that Stor-Age is the first self storage property owner in South Africa to install solar technology for three-phase power generation? To date, we have invested over R30 million in solar power (and counting!), with the roll-out of solar photovoltaic (PV) systems across our South African and UK portfolio.
Solar PV systems have been installed at 49 of our properties. These installations have, as of December 2023, generated over 4.8 million kWh of solar power. That’s enough electricity to power a whole lot of homes!
Better lighting installations
Beyond solar, we are also focused on installing LED lighting and motion sensors to help reduce electricity usage, and therefore emissions.
LED light fittings are installed inside and outside all new properties and retrofitted onto existing ones. These fittings save up to 60% of consumption compared to standard fittings!
Motion-sensitive lighting has also been installed at all of our properties. We fit these at optimum distances to reduce the number of fittings and the energy consumed.
Stor-Age’s water conservation Initiatives
Water consumption is also a major focus area for Stor-Age and we have various water-saving initiatives in place.
One of the ways we save water is by installing online monitoring systems at our properties. These systems give our teams information in real-time on levels of water consumption. Through these systems, we can identify abnormal use or leakage almost immediately via automated alarms.
We also harvest rainwater to reuse on-site rather than allowing it to run off into the stormwater system. This gives us an independent water supply during the summer months which can be used for irrigation and to substitute the municipal supply when necessary. As many of our properties benefit from significant roof space, we have installed these systems at 28 locations.
At our head office in Claremont, Cape Town, water is supplied by rainwater harvested from the roof as well as via a borehole situated below the basement-level parking garage. These natural sources provide sufficient capacity to permanently supply the property and our staff with the necessary water required to service washing and ablution facilities.
Other initiatives to supplement and conserve the municipal water supply include pumping and storing groundwater for irrigation purposes at our properties and borehole installations.
Another way we save water is by including permeable paving into the construction of our properties. This means that water is treated on site before being discharged into both the natural groundwater table and stormwater system.
Towards the future
At Stor-Age, we believe that the most important space is the environment that surrounds us, which is why we continue to address sustainable practices in the areas of energy efficiency, renewable energy generation, rainwater harvesting, stormwater management and conservation.
Our buildings are more than just bricks and mortar. We strive to improve every aspect of our properties not only to comply with changing environmental legislation but to set the highest standard for sustainability.
As we look towards the future, we will continue to roll out a variety of environmental initiatives that will make a real impact on the spaces that surround us.
Ready to store with a self storage business that cares? Get a quote from us today.