Everyone knows you can’t change the weather, but at Public Storage we help take the edge off of the hottest afternoons and the coldest winter evenings with climate control storage in select units. The type of offering differs by location, but one thing’s the same: our company’s work to reduce the environmental impact of our air systems.

We keep our meters set to run at fixed temperature ranges to keep energy usage down. And we also have made strides over the past several years to go greener by installing thousands of new, energy-efficient air systems at properties nationwide. We plan to install hundreds more at facilities this year.

If going green is important to you – because it is to us – keep reading to find out how our new air machines are better for the environment, and how they’re just one of Public Storage’s many environmental initiatives.

Public Storage Air Systems Use Less Energy

Since 2012, Public Storage has replaced more than 5,200 air systems with Energy Star qualified machines that cool or heat the same amount of storage space but use up to 40 percent less energy. Locations have more than one unit, and this number is the equivalent of upgrading nearly 350 of our storage facilities.

And now when Public Storage builds its largest-and-tallest facilities, we install even more advanced equipment – called variable refrigerant volume (VRV) systems – that treats air closer to the source, so it needs less air and energy.

Some types of older air systems for giant buildings would cool or heat air in a machine on the roof and then push it into the facility through large ductwork. By the time the air made its way down to the farthest units, it would lose some of it’s temperature during transport, requiring more energy to keep the same temperature.

“The air is treated at the locations where it’s needed rather than distributed through the ducts, which is how the old system worked,”; said Phil Williams, Public Storage’s senior vice president of construction.

Public Storage first installed these VRV machines in its properties in humid Hawaii before bringing it to the mainland for one of the company’s largest properties: Public Storage at 365 Gerard Ave. Bronx, NY 10451. Since then, we’ve added the systems to dozens of properties and counting.

The systems are also greener because they need fewer materials for ductwork. Two small lines into the unit take its place in the photo below.

New, Greener Refrigerant Treats Climate Controlled Storage

All of Public Storage’s air systems also use a refrigerant that is more environmentally friendly called Puron.

Because Puron operates at a higher pressure than other refrigerants, it can create cooler temperatures quicker thus saving energy, according to the Refrigeration Service Engineers Society.

Puron is also non-corrosive, unlike older types of refrigerants, which keeps air conditioning systems running longer and diverts waste from landfills.

And although the new air systems come at a slightly higher price than older, less-efficient systems – it’s a price Public Storage is willing to pay to be green and save money and energy in the long run.

Read about Public Storage’s ecofriendly buildings, native plant landscapes and its recycled packing materials to learn more about the ways we strive to stay green!