SKOWHEGAN, Maine — Skowhegan Savings, which has 10 branches in mid-Maine, has found a way to save $17,000 a year in energy costs, said Fred Haberberger, chief information officer.
The bank has teamed with Covisia Solutions Inc. and Efficiency Maine to reduce its energy consumption.
The solution was to eliminate power-sucking desktop computers in favor of “thin client” computers, which have no hard drive and instead work through a central server. A thin client uses less than 15 watts of power versus a traditional desktop tower, which uses 120 watts, according to Haberberger. Thin clients, which cost about $300 apiece, still need to use an external monitor.
Skowhegan Savings purchased 152 modem-sized thin clients from Wyse Technology Inc. of San Jose, Calif..
“They have no working parts in this thin client,” said Haberberger. “When they boot up, they boot up to an image that’s on a server.”
The lack of moving parts also increases the life of the computers, he said.
“The life is about five to seven years, whereas a normal PC is about three years,” he said.
Efficiency Maine partially funded the project through a business program incentive totaling $43,343.
Businesses can submit applications to Efficiency Maine to receive incentive money toward power-efficient projects. If a company is right on the border financially to make a move for more efficient technology, Efficiency Maine will give it incentive money to help reach that point, Haberberger said.
The new technology also will help Skowhegan Savings limit its transportation and upkeep costs.
“The thin client technology has allowed the Skowhegan Savings’ IT department to spend less time on unnecessary administration, maintenance and driving time between branches,” said Haberberger.
Skowhegan Savings also is using new technology to offer online rewards and mobile banking.
Despite embracing the new technology, the bank still will “be able to keep that Maine down-to-earth customer service that their customers are accustomed to,” said Greg Glynn of Nancy Marshall Communications, a public relations firm working with Skowhegan Savings.
The online rewards offer customers money-saving recommendations and loyalty rewards at 94 of the top 100 U.S. businesses.
“What they’re trying to do is be among the first banks in Maine to bring this type of technology to its customers,” said Glynn. “It’s one of the best Maine banks you can have for this technology.”