DALLAS, TEXAS, March 13, 2014 -- On Wednesday, March 12, Schneider Electric, a global specialist in energy management, announced the signing of a $5.7-million energy savings performance contract (ESPC) with the city of Clute, Texas, to prepare the city's infrastructure for anticipated population growth that will help make it more cost-effective and energy-efficient.
Through the ESPC, the implementation of a variety of retrofits to aging infrastructure are being financed, include lighting and water metering, as well as the installation of a new wastewater treatment plant. The project is expected to save Clute more than $300,000 in annual operational and energy costs, while also ensuring that the city's infrastructure can meet increasing demands from a larger population.
Schneider is working with Clute to completely rebuild its wastewater treatment plant, including replacing the city's water meter population and installing a new advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) system. The city's existing metering system is comprised of several differing and manually-operated manufacturers, resulting in numerous inefficiencies amounting to more than $250,000 per year in lost water revenue. The new AMI system is more accurate and will allow the city to maximize its water revenue. It will also save time, reducing the need for meters to be manually read, and allow staff to perform regular and preventative maintenance and handle emergencies more efficiently.
In addition to the meter replacement, the new wastewater treatment plant is projected to save the city 57 percent annually in energy costs. These savings can be attributed to the facility's aeration system with blowers and piping that operate at the optimized air output to match the constantly-changing demand at the plant instead of constantly running at full capacity. When operating at maximum efficiency, the plant will meet the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) permit limits.
"Wastewater projects are a significant undertaking and can be essential to a city's financial and environmental success," said Tammy Fulop, vice president of sales, Energy & Sustainability Services at Schneider Electric. "In the project with Clute, we are able to customize a wastewater and metering solution that will have a positive impact on the entire city's infrastructure, functionality and sustainability."
In the past 20 years, Schneider has successfully implemented nearly 500 ESPCs across the nation and helped clients around the world save more than $1 billion. ESPCs help publicly-funded entities make capital improvements over longer payback periods. ESPCs offer many long-term benefits such as improved facility efficiency, occupant comfort, financial management and environmental protection. Typically, new, more efficient equipment and upgraded facility automation systems maximize energy efficiency and generate utility savings.
About Schneider Electric
As a global specialist in energy management with operations in more than 100 countries, Schneider Electric offers integrated solutions across multiple market segments, including leadership positions in Utilities & Infrastructure, Industries & Machines Manufacturers, Non-residential Building, Data Centers & Networks and in Residential. Focused on making energy safe, reliable, efficient, productive and green, the company's 140,000 plus employees achieved sales of 30.8 billion US dollars (24 billion euros) in 2012, through an active commitment to help individuals and organizations make the most of their energy. For more information, visit www.schneider-electric.com/us
###
