June 25, 2007
Blinded by the light
By Cory Hopkins
Cognex Corp. saves a bundle with help from NStar
Let's do a little math:
If the average home uses 30 kilowatt hours of electricity per day, how many homes per day could you power with 300,000 kilowatt hours of electricity?
The answer is 10,000 homes.
Thanks to an energy efficiency program offered by regional electric provider NSTAR, Natick-based Cognex Corp. stands to save that much electricity per year, said Mike Durand, a spokesman for NSTAR.
Cognex is the world's leading manufacturer of machine-vision, or robotic-vision, products and systems.
At an average price of about 15 cents per kilowatt hour, Durand said, Cognex stands to save more than $44,000 per year, simply by installing more energy efficient lights and controls.
And lest one think that the price for replacing the outdated equipment might offset any potential savings, NStar offers a rebate of up to 90 percent of the cost of newer high-efficiency equipment.
Cognex, for example, will save $47,000 on equipment costs, Durand said. Factor that in with the $44,000 annual savings, and Cognex is looking at more than $90,000 added to their bottom line.
Even for big companies, that ain't small potatoes.
"With the rebate from NSTAR and monthly savings on our energy bill, Cognex expects to recoup the engineering investment within two years," said Robin Pratt, a Cognex spokesman. "It's a win for NSTAR, for the environment, and for Cognex."
Durand said many local businesses, large and small, are seeing the light, so to speak, of NSTAR's Construction Solutions and Business Solutions programs.
"Businesses throughout our service area are calling before additions or renovations, or if they just want to replace everything in an existing building," Durand said. "Our message is to call us before you do anything, even if you just want to see what's out there. Especially if you're planning on doing the work anyways, why not do it with our programs and save even more money?"
Let's do a little math:
If the average home uses 30 kilowatt hours of electricity per day, how many homes per day could you power with 300,000 kilowatt hours of electricity?
The answer is 10,000 homes.
Cognex corporate headquarters in Natick.
Cognex is the world's leading manufacturer of machine-vision, or robotic-vision, products and systems.
At an average price of about 15 cents per kilowatt hour, Durand said, Cognex stands to save more than $44,000 per year, simply by installing more energy efficient lights and controls.
And lest one think that the price for replacing the outdated equipment might offset any potential savings, NStar offers a rebate of up to 90 percent of the cost of newer high-efficiency equipment.
Cognex, for example, will save $47,000 on equipment costs, Durand said. Factor that in with the $44,000 annual savings, and Cognex is looking at more than $90,000 added to their bottom line.
Even for big companies, that ain't small potatoes.
"With the rebate from NSTAR and monthly savings on our energy bill, Cognex expects to recoup the engineering investment within two years," said Robin Pratt, a Cognex spokesman. "It's a win for NSTAR, for the environment, and for Cognex."
Durand said many local businesses, large and small, are seeing the light, so to speak, of NSTAR's Construction Solutions and Business Solutions programs.
"Businesses throughout our service area are calling before additions or renovations, or if they just want to replace everything in an existing building," Durand said. "Our message is to call us before you do anything, even if you just want to see what's out there. Especially if you're planning on doing the work anyways, why not do it with our programs and save even more money?"
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