How to Improve Energy Efficiency in Frozen Warehouses?

Frozen warehouses are some of the most energy-hungry spaces in the industrial world. The constant need to maintain sub-zero temperatures for perishable inventory creates a continuous and expensive refrigeration load. But there's a big opportunity hiding in plain sight: the way your storage is laid out. At Westbow Systems, we specialize in helping facility managers and operations teams unlock efficiencies not just through products, but through purpose-driven, space-smart solutions.

If you’re operating a cold storage warehouse in Western Canada, this guide will show you how an optimized storage layout can make your operations more energy efficient, organized, and cost-effective.

High-Density Racking: Reduce the Air You’re Paying to Cool

Let’s start with what matters most: volume. The more air you cool, the more energy you burn.

That’s where high-density racking systems like drive-in and push-back racking come into play. These systems dramatically cut down the number of aisles, allowing you to store more pallets in less space, and refrigerate less air.

• Drive-In Racking: Forklifts enter the racking lanes to retrieve and store pallets. By eliminating the need for multiple aisles, you increase storage density and reduce the cubic footage that needs cooling.

• Push-Back Racking: Pallets sit on wheeled carts in deep, gravity-fed lanes. You can store up to 12 pallets back-to-back while keeping access manageable.

These systems are ideal for bulk storage and SKUs with lower turnover. At Westbow Systems, we help clients assess their inventory patterns to find the right high-density system for their cold chain needs.

Want to cut your refrigeration costs? Let’s design the right high-density racking solution for your space. Contact Us

Racking Design Must Support Cold Air Circulation

Not all racking is made for the cold. In sub-zero environments, your racking material and design can either help or hurt your airflow.

Cold-specific racking must:

• Withstand thermal stress and frost.

• Avoid creating “cold air dead zones” where airflow stagnates.

• Minimize surfaces that ice over, which impedes circulation and requires defrosting.

Our team at Westbow Systems partners with leading manufacturers of cold-storage-ready racking that ensures uninterrupted airflow, reducing the energy required to maintain temperature uniformity.

Is your current racking compromising airflow in your frozen warehouse? Let us audit your layout. Book a Consultation

Layout Patterns that Reduce Energy and Improve Access

How you design the flow of your facility matters. Layout patterns like U-shaped, I-shaped, or L-shaped arrangements impact both efficiency and energy use.

• Fewer forklift movements = fewer open doors.

• Unidirectional (one-way) movement = less warm air infiltration.

• Compact, thoughtful flow patterns = faster operations, fewer heat gains.

Pairing a tight flow with high-density storage minimizes the number of temperature disruptions, every second that a door is open adds cost.

We work with our clients to map operational flow against energy impact, designing layouts that cut down on unnecessary access to frozen zones.

Planning a new cold storage facility or revamping an old one? Let's design a better flow. Talk to a Storage Expert

Smart Slotting to Limit Heat Transfer

Slotting is where energy savings meet operational intelligence.

By positioning fast-moving items closer to the doors, you reduce the time spent inside the cold zone and minimize heat gain from prolonged door openings.

Combine this with the right racking strategy:

• Drive-in systems work well for LIFO inventory (like frozen goods with long shelf lives).

• Drive-through systems support FIFO needs—ideal for high-turn, perishable inventory.

Our team aligns your inventory movement patterns with the right slotting strategy, so you’re not just storing smarter, you’re saving energy every time you pick.

Want help aligning your cold storage slotting with your inventory flow? We can help. Get a Custom Layout Plan

Storage Layout Is an Energy Strategy

Here’s the bottom line: your storage layout is a major lever for energy efficiency. By implementing:

• High-density racking

• Cold-air-optimized rack designs

• Efficient flow layouts

• Strategic slotting

-you can reduce cooling volume, minimize door-open time, and streamline inventory access.

At Westbow Systems, we don’t sell off-the-shelf solutions. We engineer custom, end-to-end strategies for cold storage that save you money, improve operations, and protect your inventory.

Let’s Make Your Frozen Warehouse More Efficient.

Whether you’re designing a new build, expanding your current footprint, or just trying to get more out of your existing cold storage space, we’re here to guide you. Book a Discovery Call or Start with a Free Layout Review.