Success Story: MicroMICR Corporation

Partner Information

Located in Ft. Lauderdale, FL
4,685 sq. ft. building
Annual Savings: about $1,300
Annual Energy Savings: 19,512 kWh
Prevented 43,000 lbs. of pollution

Service and Product Provider

Florida Power & Light

“We are benefiting from a more comfortable work environment, increased productivity, and a decrease in our utility bill.” — Chris Schoeller General Manager, MicroMICR Corporation

High-Tech Firm Learns Micro Investment Reaps Big Bucks

MicroMICR Corporation of Ft. Lauderdale, FL, specializes in Magnetic Ink Character Recognition (MICR) technology, which involves a special typeface and ink used to encode the numbers and symbols printed on the bottom line of checks and other documents for high-speed magnetic or optical processing. But the company is also specializing in another field: energy efficiency. For its efforts to make the facilities as energy efficient as possible, MicroMICR received a year 2000 ENERGY STAR for small business Award.

Micro Investment, Macro Savings

The company installed T-8 fluorescent lamps with electronic ballasts throughout its building, which not only are much more energy efficient than standard fluorescent or incandescent lamps, but also provide very good color rendition.

In addition, the company also installed new, efficient air-conditioning units, ceiling insulation, weather stripping on doors, window film to reduce heat gain from the Florida sun, and programmable thermostats to control building temperature when unoccupied.

Energy Efficiency Leads to Efficient Business

Chris Schoeller, the general manager of MicroMICR corporation, advises other businesses seeking energy savings to start with an energy audit. MicroMICR’s power utility — Florida Power & Light — provided the company with a no-cost energy audit and a list of energy saving measures. “My first recommendation,” he says, “is to get an energy audit and to follow up as your budget allows.”

The energy savings are even greater than MicroMICR expected. When the company first decided to install energy saving measures, they had not yet had an energy audit. After the company’s power utility performed its audit, MicroMICR discovered that there were more opportunities for energy savings than the company anticipated. “We made the decision to go with energy savings over time without being aware of all of the energy cost savings from our utility company,” Schoeller says. “We are that committed to having an efficient work place.”

ENERGY STAR for small business

As MicroMICR knows, the ENERGY STAR logo signifies a dedication to energy efficiency and to reducing the pollution caused by generating power. MicroMICR proudly displays the ENERGY STAR for Small Business logo on its Web site at http://www.micro-micr.com Exit ENERGY STAR. In an age that is becoming increasingly aware of the need for preserving the environment, dedication to energy efficiency not only makes environmental sense, but also good business sense.