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Geothermal Heat Pumps in CNC's basement
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CNC Chairman Mark Summers (left) and VP Brian Summers (right) with the solar array
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Entrance to CNC Software is a barn which houses a biodiesel tank for employee use
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CNC Software's Environmental Commitment
Environmental harm is frequently quantified using carbon dioxide emissions and referred to as a "carbon footprint." At CNC, being green is not just about reducing this carbon footprint, but also about embracing sustainable living methods that preserve the environment. Emphasis is placed on utilizing only clean, renewable sources for energy and reducing overall energy consumption. Strong efforts are made to minimize waste and purchase only high quality, sustainably produced materials. Maintaining our environment is essential to our future, but it is also a passion at CNC.
Described below are some of the ways in which we seek to minimize our environmental impact.
Geothermal Heating and Cooling
The corporate headquarters, housing 115 employees, is heated and cooled with geothermal heat pumps. In fact, the last two CNC buildings have been heated without fossil fuels since 1989 with electricity as the only energy cost.
On-site Green Power Generation
In an effort to offset remaining energy costs, a ground mounted solar array was built in the summer of 2008. The array, rated at 73 kW, meets up to 1/3 of the building's electrical demand.
A second ground mounted solar array went online in the summer of 2016. This array uses more efficient panels, and is rated at 144kw. With the addition of this second array, we are generating the majority of our energy on site. All remaining electricity demand is purchased at a green premium and consists of a mix of landfill gas, wind and hydro generated electricity.
The following websites display live solar-electricity production for the 2008 solar array and 2016 solar array respectively.
Energy Saving Techniques
On a smaller scale the building is equipped with:
- Motion sensors and efficient T8 fluorescent lighting.
- Energy efficient windows and doors.
- Low water usage plumbing fixtures.
- A fresh air exchange system with an energy recovery unit.
Other Green Efforts
The CNC team is full of environmental enthusiasts! Several of our green community efforts include:
- Hybrid vehicles as company cars.
- An employee organized and managed composting program.
- Employee gardens which use the compost.
- Company kitchens with glasses, dishes, flatware and energy efficient dishwashers.
- All Mastercam brochures are printed on FSC certified paper, ensuring that the paper is a product of sustainably managed forests.