Conserving Resources

Reducing Energy Usage

Overall electricity usage at National Instruments corporate headquarters increased slightly by 3 percent in 2010 due to an increased production load as a result of the improving economy. However, per-employee usage decreased by 9 percent, partially due to the following projects NI undertook in 2010 to decrease electricity usage:

• Implemented software tools through an organization called Climate Savers Computing for managing power settings of employee computers, which saved 0.8% of 2010 electricity use at headquarters
• Replaced metal halide lights in two parking garages and in one of the buildings at headquarters with compact fluorescent bulbs, saving 427,000 kWh
• Transitioned from a nighttime to a daytime cleaning service, which reduced the number of lights left on at night

Overall, these measures saved 2,941 GJ of energy at NI headquarters in 2010. In addition, NI subscribes to Austin Energy GreenChoice, a renewable energy program, to provide 10 percent of the total electricity usage at its headquarters.

At NI Hungary, overall electricity consumption increased by 15 percent, because of an increased production load and headcount.

NI is using Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) green building criteria to investigate effective energy and water saving strategies in the design and development of a new facility in Penang, Malaysia.

Purchased Electricity

Purchased Electricity (kWh)

Campus	2007	2008	2009	2010
Headquarters	19,699,124	20,838,000	20,640,000	21,258,000
Per employee	9,036	9,096	9,000	8,195
Hungary	6,802,142	7,486,970	6,503,201	7,492,679
Per employee	8,346	7,234	6,992	7,598