QUALITY TOPS & KITCHENS
ECOGATE CASE STUDY
Quality Tops & Kitchens Vaughan, Ontario, Canada
29
62%
$38,500
woodworking
machines
electricity
use reduction
annual
savings
THE STORY
Located in Vaughan, Canada, Quality Tops & Kitchens has been at the forefront of sustainable manufacturing since Tony and Mary Toto founded the company in 1974. Starting in their basement, the husband and wife team quickly found success as testimonials of their impeccable cabinetry and attention to detail quickly spread from one satisfied customer to the next.
After moving into their first 10,500 square foot facility, business continued to boom, and they were quickly compelled to acquire the space next door in order to meet the demands of their rapidly growing client base. It was during this period that QTK began investing in automated machinery. With a forward-thinking and innovative business philosophy, they have continued to implement environmentally conscious initiatives and procedures as consistently as they have produced unique quality kitchens for their satisfied customers.
In line with this philosophy of sustainability, QTK's general manager, Daniel Toto, consulted Ecogate in 2015 to discover how they could reduce their energy consumption and cut costs in the process.
QTK's dust collection system was consuming approximately 400,000 kWh annually. This presented an outstanding opportunity to save electricity with Ecogate.
The Ecogate greenBOX Master is able to optimize energy use by commanding a network of installed Ecogates that automatically open and close based on machine activity. The greenBOX also adjusts the fan motor speed using a variable frequency drive. By always providing precisely the amount of ventilation that is needed by the machines running at any given point of time, the greenBOX dramatically reduces the system's electricity use.
As a direct result of implementing the Ecogate greenBOX Master system, QTK was able to decrease their annual energy consumption by 241,237 kWh. This 62% reduction in annual energy consumption translates to an annual savings of $38,453 for the company.
The electricity use reduction was independently verified by saveONenergy, Ontario's program to promote energy-efficiency projects. As a result, QTK received a $61,366 grant towards the completion of the Ecogate project.
In addition to the oustanding energy efficiency, other benefits to QTK include a well-performing, fully-automated dust collection system, a quiter work environment, as well as access to Ecogate's web-based analytics platform, offering insights into the dust collection system's performance and electricity use, as well as detailed metrics on workstation activity.
By offering oustanding technological sophistication, automation, and energy-efficiency, Ecogate fits perfectly with QTK's philosophy of sustainability and uncompromising quality.