METRO IS REDUCING ITS ENERGY FOOTPRINT

METRO is always looking for ways to be more environmentally conscious. So, it implemented a new energy-saving strategy that is expected to save METRO - and taxpayers -thousands of dollars per year.

Long before the current heat wave hit Houston, METRO was already implementing the following initiatives, among many others, to reduce its energy footprint and water consumption:

• Monitoring and tracking utility consumption at each facility
• Closely reviewing utility invoices to identify errors such as overcharges
• Retrofitting old lighting systems with newer, more efficient ones
• Adjusting temperature settings at facilities
• Recycling water used to wash its bus fleet
• Watering lawns and landscaping areas on an as-needed basis
• Reviewing sprinkler systems to detect and repair leaks
• Modifying water sprinkler system schedules
• Installation of occupancy sensors in offices and conference rooms to reduce energy use in unoccupied areas

The cost-saving initiatives are working. From June 2008 to June 2009, METRO reduced its water usage by more than 5 percent and its gas consumption by more than 7 percent.

METRO will continue to enforce and build on these cost-saving efforts. The agency is already working on a FY2010 plan that includes adopting the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Energy Star program, as well as identifying other opportunities to trim its energy usage.