The Bright Side of Green
When electricity costs began rising, lawnmower blade manufacturer Whirltronics, Inc. found a way to lighten the bill.
Steve Thul, left, and Eric Fink, right, of Bufallo-based Whirltronics, Inc.
Whirltronics Inc. is the third largest energy customer in Buffalo. When company leaders decided to reduce costs, they looked for ways to make the 45,000-square-foot facility more energy-efficient.
“In 2007 and 2008, our electrical energy cost almost doubled, so we started looking for ways to become as efficient as possible when it comes to energy usage,” says Whirltronics controller Eric Fink.
In January 2009, Fink installed environmentally friendly fluorescent lighting throughout the facility’s production floor, an investment that will save the company an estimated $20,000 in energy costs for 2009. The lighting should pay for itself in less than two years.
Steve Thul, president of Whirltronics, says he couldn’t be happier with the results. “Not only do [our fluorescent lights] last twice as long and require half the energy to run [compared to traditional lights], but the overall quality of the lighting itself is greatly enhanced,” he says. “In a shop environment, it’s more evenly dispersed, cleaner, brighter light.”
Workers are happy, too. “The employees that work out in the shop really like the new lights,” Fink says. “You lose a lot of shadows, and people can see better. It’s probably a safer environment now.”
Because of the lighting’s positive reception and its financial payback, Thul plans to install green lighting in the company’s office space by the end of the year. In addition, Whirltronics, Inc. has partnered with Enterprise Minnesota and the Minnesota Technical Assistance Program (MnTAP) to conduct an energy audit, which will identify additional ways to reduce energy use and costs.
“From the business model, it makes a lot of sense; from the efficiency model, it makes a lot of sense; and from an environmental standpoint, it makes sense,” Thul says. “I don’t see a downside.”
-ANDREA LAHOUZE