Your colleagues operate heavy equipment, process waste, and assemble the building blocks of urban societies. Many operations rely on excessive gas and diesel use to be efficient, but the future must look different. The construction sector is a highly polluting industry, and your team and organization can find alternative solutions for long-term sustainability by overcoming fossil fuel dependence.

Why Reducing Fuel Consumption Is a Major Sustainability Objective

Construction and building impacts contribute around 37% of greenhouse gas emissions worldwide. High-emitting industries, like concrete, heating and cooling, and steel, are part of this problem, leveraging fossil fuels in almost every corner. 

Fuel combustion creates methane, nitrous oxide, and other harmful by-products. Many understand their negative contribution to air quality, as they add particulate matter and sulfur oxides into the air. Yet, gas and diesel also contaminate all other habitats, including soil and waterways, hurting wildlife and exacerbating public health crises.

These resources are finite, and global reserves are depleting fast because of rapid urbanization. The world cannot sustain this pace for future generations, forcing workplaces to transition to alternative fuel and energy sources before it is too late. Competitive organizations have already started searching for a more reliable feedstock.

Cost savings also drive this motivation. If you want to sustain high profits from year to year, eliminating chaotically priced fossil fuels from the budget will lower operational expenses. Environmentally compliant organizations could receive government incentives and tax breaks to alleviate costs further, while increasing their commitment to corporate social responsibility.

Fuel Usage in the Construction Industry and Environmental Impact

You probably know the most gas-guzzling culprits in construction, as 98% of its energy expenditure is from diesel. Bulldozers, excavators, cranes, and trucks, among other heavy equipment, consume large amounts of fuel and money. The bigger umbrella of transportation machinery makes fossil fuel reliance more ingrained.

Construction professionals also need flexibility with their power sources. On-site power generation often requires external generators and diesel. In remote regions without grid access, this could be the only way to meet deadlines for a project.

Finally, infrastructure requires your teams and business partners to make cement, steel, and asphalt, all of which require fossil fuels. These materials are energy-intensive to process at high temperatures and weigh down vehicles moving from manufacturing facilities to construction sites. To mitigate environmental and financial costs, sourcing less destructive materials like renewable bamboo and green concrete is vital.

How to Improve Fuel Consumption in Construction 

Fuel management is crucial for developing sustainable mindsets in construction. It requires a mix of strategies.

Renewable Energy and Alternative Fuels

Installing renewable generators like solar panels and wind turbines gives construction workers guilt-free electricity. You can use them in-office and on-site with portable batteries. They are perfect supplements to existing fuels, or you can switch to alternatives like biodiesel or hydrogen fuel cells.

Electrification

You should replace diesel-powered machinery with alternatives. Electric forklifts and excavators are zero-emission replacements with low maintenance requirements. Many handheld devices are also easy to switch. The electric equipment can connect to an on-site grid, ideally powered by renewables, instead of diesel generators.

Companies can also opt for mini-construction equipment while transitioning to a fully electric fleet. Compact versions, like wheel loaders, are 19% cheaper than conventional models and use fewer resources.

Equipment and Operational Efficiency

If you maintain construction equipment irregularly, it will experience performance losses and use more resources over time. Fuel efficiency requires oversight, so scheduling equipment evaluations and following compliance recommendations can extend their life spans. You can also right-size to avoid wasting fuel. 

Operational efficiency can also be streamlined to use fewer resources. Factories, warehouses, and other work zones can change layouts to shorten travel distances for hauling equipment. If there are prolonged rest periods, the company should mandate idling restrictions.

Material and Waste Management

Material choices also indirectly reduce support for fossil fuels. Lightweight construction options put less pressure on vehicles, using less gas to move necessary components. Try switching from a six-cylinder engine to four. A 10% decrease in a fleet vehicle’s weight can have a 6%-8% improvement in fuel economy.

Supporting local businesses means these crucial assets travel shorter distances than thousands of miles over oceans. Incorporating advanced GPS and telematics also help drivers find the most straightforward path to destinations without sitting in traffic or taking the long way around.

Dependence No More

Fossil fuels are embedded in construction, serving as the glue holding most operational processes together. It is the power behind lifting steel beams and transporting demolition waste, among other essential practices. 

However, the future demands an alternative. Cutting fuel consumption is the most immediate and impactful way to decarbonize your work. It requires dedication and collaboration from everyone you interact with on a jobsite, so the best day to change workflows and embrace innovation is now.