MBTA and Schneider Electric announce 12% energy reduction goal

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Written by: Ben Vient, Managing Editor
Schneider Electric, a global specialist in energy management and automation, announced on June 1, 2016 it’s working with the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) to cut utility bills and carbon emissions tied to public transportation in the greater Boston area.

Together, the organizations will develop a comprehensive energy management plan and implement technology to help the MBTA reach its goal of reducing energy costs 12 percent next year.

The fifth largest transit agency in the nation, the MBTA operates bus, subway, railway and ferry routes in and around Boston metro, serving more than 1.35 million riders a day. The amount of power required to run such an extensive operation makes the authority the largest consumer of electricity in Massachusetts. The MBTA currently spends more than $48 million annually on utilities and uses enough electricity to power 50,000 homes.

“Energy-saving opportunities are everywhere. But for sizeable organizations such as the T, the challenge is finding those with the greatest return and moving in a coordinated fashion,” said Steve Wilhite, Senior Vice President of Energy and Sustainability Services at Schneider Electric. “How do you know if the Boylston station is using 15 percent more energy than other, similar subway stops? And what do you do? It takes a system-wide view and the ability to turn data into action.”

Through the partnership, the MBTA will use Schneider Electric’s cloud-based Resource Advisor to visualize, measure and manage efficiency and sustainability initiatives across its entire footprint — in one single interface. The software will compile and track data from up to 218 energy meters across 45 sites to start. This includes the analysis of both utility and interval data to identify trends, allocate spend and pinpoint efficiency measures to deliver savings.

This announcement follows the MBTA's recent focus on energy reduction plans.

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