Debunking IQinVision's Green Calculator

Published May 02, 2011 00:00 AM
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IQinVision has been promoting its Green Calculator as a means to demonstrate significant operational cost savings one can achieve by using their cameras. This is one of their online tools (requiring free registration).

Inside the tool, the default scenario shows users saving nearly $1,500 per year in energy costs by using IQinVision cameras. Where does this savings come from?

The first assumption is that 50 cameras are being used. Normalizing it for a per camera basis, IQinVision claims $30 in annual energy savings. This is notable but not dramatic considering the up front cost for a megapixel camera ranges from about $600 to $1200.

The key assumption is that the alternative cameras consume 40 watts while the IQinVision ones only consume 6.5 watts. While the Green Calculator introduction alludes to outdoor environmental cameras / external PTZs, given the assumption of 40 watts, this presumes PTZs (or a very 'hungry' heater/blower running 24/7/365). Additionally, while the Sentinel's power consumption rating is low so are competitive offerings from Mobotix and Axis (their numerous -E options).

As we examined in the PTZ vs Megapixel Shootout, replacing a PTZ with a megapixel camera comes with significant downsides for even moderate sized applications. As such, this appears to be a false contrast.