More and more businesses are evolving their parking facilities from traditional models to newer, more efficient methods. Traditional parking lots and buildings can be extremely inefficient, especially in urban areas where space is limited. Not only are traditional parking methods wasteful, but they are also particularly damaging to the environment. Keep reading to learn nine reasons why sustainable parking is important and why businesses are turning to these models.
1. Offers Space-Saving Solutions
Traditional parking lots are some of the most inefficient uses of space in modern cities and urban layouts. Even the most sprawling lots can’t keep up with parking demands in some of the fastest-growing cities in the world. This ever-growing demand for parking causes businesses and cities to expand their lots, encroaching on green, natural spaces that so many cities lack. By swapping to more sustainable multistory parking models, cities can avoid expanding outward and instead expand upward. This protects the limited amount of green space, which is crucial for purifying air and providing homes for wildlife.
2. Encourages Energy Saving
Sustainable parking solutions such as automated parking garages can also help businesses decrease energy usage. For example, automated facilities don’t require customers to park their own cars, which makes navigating individual floors unnecessary. When every floor of your facility no longer needs lighting to guide customers, you can focus energy output on areas that need it most. Those areas include your central lobby and automated equipment.
An added benefit of these eco-friendly practices is that vehicle storage businesses also save money on energy in the process. You no longer need to power lighting or ventilation for the entire facility, which can help cut down on energy costs and consumption.
Sustainable businesses can also explore renewable energy sources to power their minimal energy needs. Rather than relying on traditional grid electricity for power, they can use solar panels, wind generators, and more as green energy solutions.
3. Introduces Opportunities for De-Paving
Unfortunately, many cities and urban areas are already feeling the negative effects of lot expansions and poor parking designs. However, upgrading these outdated parking methods introduces opportunities for de-paving and retrofitting old lots into new green spaces. For example, municipalities can redesign old parking lots to feature additional landscaping islands with more trees. Introducing more green space and landscaping into a commercial area can even result in more shoppers, return visits, and longer stays in these urban areas.
4. Reduces Carbon Footprints
Buildings and transportation are some of the biggest causes of daily CO2 emissions around the world. Traditional parking lots and garages combine the harmful effects of emissions and energy waste. However, sustainable parking solutions such as automated parking facilities can help reduce the heat effect and significant emissions traditional lots produce. Automated facilities help reduce emissions by minimizing the amount of time customers spend operating their cars. Shorter running times mean fewer emissions produced. Incorporating green spaces into traditional lots and on facility roofs can also reduce the effect of greenhouse gas emissions and lower the carbon footprint.
5. Encourages Industry Trends
More and more businesses are starting to adopt sustainable technology, which is a positive trend in many industries. Practicing sustainable habits, such as minimizing your carbon footprint or investing in parking lifts for sale, is an excellent way to help your business become a part of the movement. Customers are also starting to pay more attention to which businesses they support and whether these businesses are mindful of sustainability. You can encourage your business partners or other local businesses to grow with sustainability in mind to create a positive trend in your community and industry.
6. Minimizes Accidents
A side effect of sustainable parking is the increased vehicular safety these facilities can provide. Eco-friendly parking systems such as automated lifts help reduce the amount of time patrons spend looking for parking spaces. Automated lifts are also very well marked, which encourages safe loading and navigation around the facility. This promotes safer driving, less confusion, and fewer collisions within your parking garage and facility.
7. Helps Reduce Parking Lot Crime
In addition to keeping drivers safe in their vehicles, sustainable parking systems also promote safety outside of their vehicles. Many traditional parking garages and lots suffer from vehicle-related crimes, such as break-ins and theft. However, sustainable facilities that use automated systems and lifts have stricter access control, making it harder for criminals to access vehicles to break in and steal items or the entire vehicle itself. Fewer entrances and more organized vehicle storage reduce the chances of crimes that target your facility’s vehicles. This increased safety provides more peace of mind for your visitors, which can also lead to repeated patronage in the future.
8. Cost-Effective Services
Another side effect of choosing sustainable resources and designs is that these investments can help your business save money in the long run. For example, when you browse parking lifts for sale and invest in this sustainable technology, you can minimize your facility’s reliance on traditional lighting, ventilation, surveillance, and other energy-consuming technologies. Over time, these investments will pay for themselves. This results in money your business can use elsewhere toward other sustainability investments.
9. Makes Customers Aware of Sustainability Issues
When businesses start making conscious decisions to practice sustainability, this goes a long way toward educating customers. Customers will become more aware of the businesses they shop with and their values toward sustainability and the environment. They may even choose to practice their own eco-friendly choices at home. Businesses adopting sustainable parking systems can slowly spread change throughout an entire community. This encourages other residents and businesses to contribute to the cause as well.
As you plan the growth of your own business’s parking layout, remember these nine reasons why sustainable parking is so important. Whether your business is completely new to the eco-friendly parking movement or it’s already making strides, you can use the benefits of underground parking to motivate your sustainability goals. If you’re looking for ways to restructure your parking layout to be a more sustainable space, consider installing automated parking solutions. You can find a wide variety of parking lifts for sale here at Harding Steel to get started. We’ll help you find a lift that promotes eco-friendly vehicle storage for your business.
