The service consists of centralizing to a common online database the utility bills and meter data from the gas and electric accounts of 700 CPS schools, and then verifying the accuracy of the billing. Siemens will also provide training to CPS personnel on how to use utility bill management and advanced energy analysis reports to track and save energy.

"CPS expects to achieve considerable energy cost savings as a result of better utility bill monitoring and a proactive energy conservation campaign," said Steven Ko, CPS energy manager.

Siemens will begin the service by transferring up to nine years of historical utility billing information, and data from up to 750 of the largest electricity meters of the CPS, into a centralized, online Web application. After verifying the accuracy of the billing, the company will establish initial baseline energy usage and cost data for each CPS school.

Siemens will then train selected "Super-Users," CPS trainers who, in turn, will train local operating engineers on how to use the reports to track and manage energy usage in order to meet their individual school's energy efficiency targets.

The goal of the training is to help CPS to establish a rigorous energy accounting discipline that continually measures the performance of its utility cost management efforts.

"As a result of utility management training, many of our customers have realized significant savings on their total utility costs," said Mike Kearney, Siemens district sales manager. "Savings have been achieved by uncovering billing errors, enabling users to implement energy conservation actions, and by optimizing energy consumption through monitoring and analysis."

Publication date: 06/13/2005