Schneider Electric Helps Missouri Cities Improve Public Works Operations With Advanced Metering

Cities of Maryville and Shelbina to capture new revenue through water and energy efficiency

Schneider Electric, the global specialist in energy management and automation, recently announced the signing of two energy savings performance contract (ESPC) projects with cities in Missouri that will drive more than $575,000 in energy and operational savings, as well as new revenue streams to further improve city services.

The Cities of Maryville and Shelbina have embarked on unique ESPC projects encompassing a variety of metering and energy efficiency upgrades that will provide citizens with a clearer view of how water and energy are being used in their homes and businesses.

“Many cities across the country face significant challenges in maintaining public works without placing additional tax burden on residents,” said Tammy Fulop, Vice President, Schneider Electric. “We are excited to partner with the Cities of Maryville and Shelbina to help address critical infrastructure improvements that will allow the cities to focus more time and resources on serving their constituents and provide a source of revenue to support the community.”

The City of Maryville’s public works were composed of outdated meters that were ineffective in providing citizens with a clear picture of their water usage. Additionally, the city experienced significant water loss due to leaks in its water mains. As a college town, Maryville also faces severe operational challenges during the spring and fall months as student moving patterns place massive strain on water services. To solve these issues, the city partnered with Schneider Electric to install an advanced metering infrastructure (AMI). This system analyzes water consumption and provides meter readings and billing as residents move out of a location, generating a final bill without having to manually read meters or turn services on or off. The $3M project also includes replacement of more than 4,250 water meters and the installation of leak detection technology that identifies water loss throughout the distribution system while establishing a plan for routine meter replacement. In total, these improvements will generate nearly $400,000 in new revenue for the city. Construction is underway and will be complete by spring 2017.

“Through our partnership with Schneider Electric, we’re able to improve water and sewer service operations and provide our citizens with new levels of information about their water usage that previously wasn’t possible,” said Greg McDanel, City Manager at the City of Maryville. “This data serves as a key driver that will allow citizens to be more efficient in how they use water within their buildings. We’re also able to accomplish all of these goals without increasing rates, which is a win for the entire community.”

In the City of Shelbina, many of the 3,000 utility meters were over or approaching 20 years in operation. The city also had an antiquated billing system that required manual meter readings and data entry each month. To address the challenges associated with its aging meter infrastructure and manual processes, the city will replace or upgrade all of its existing water, electric and natural gas meters and install a fully integrated automatic meter reading (AMR) system that will improve data collection and monitoring of individual resident and business energy use. The City of Shelbina will also update its aging power controls and electrical systems to improve operations. As part of the project, the city will replace all internal and street lighting with LED fixtures to reduce energy costs and maintenance needs while improving safety for its residents. These improvements will create more than $64,000 in new revenue for the city. Construction is underway and will be complete by spring 2017.

“By partnering with an energy expert like Schneider Electric, we’re able to upgrade our metering and lighting fixtures, provide our citizens with a better understanding of how and where they spend their energy dollars and identify areas of waste. Ultimately this will save money for the city and our customers,” said Tim Lacy, City Clerk, City of Shelbina. “Implementing the $1.4M needed capital improvement project at no cost to taxpayers through guaranteed revenues and generated savings will be so beneficial for our community, and will play a key role in preparing Shelbina for future growth and development.”

Over the past 23 years, Schneider Electric has successfully implemented more than 625 ESPC projects across the nation, saving its clients $1.6B. This project delivery method helps publicly funded entities make capital improvements over longer payback periods and offers many long-term benefits including improved facility efficiency, occupant comfort, financial management and environmental protection.

For more information, visit www.enable.schneider-electric.com.

About Schneider Electric
Schneider Electric is the global specialist in energy management and automation. With revenues of $26B US dollars (25 billion euros) in FY2016, our 160,000+ employees serve customers in over 100 countries, helping them to manage their energy and process in ways that are safe, reliable, efficient and sustainable. From the simplest of switches to complex operational systems, our technology, software and services improve the way our customers manage and automate their operations. Our connected technologies reshape industries, transform cities and enrich lives. At Schneider Electric, we call thisLife Is On. For more information, visit www.schneider-electric.us.