MINNEAPOLIS, MN, Oct. 21, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- In order to improve what was an energy accountant's nightmare, the City of Minneapolis has adopted EnergyCAP energy management software into its business process. Brian Millberg, the City's energy manager, integrated EnergyCAP in order to improve the energy accounting process and track greenhouse gas reduction goals.
Before Millberg implemented EnergyCAP, accounts payable clerks were hand-coding 20- to 30-digit account numbers on every paper invoice. Another clerk in central accounting was entering the handwritten codes into a payment system. The process was fraught with opportunities for typos and lost invoices, and the City was receiving monthly termination notices and late fee warnings from vendors because of unpaid bills.
But Brian Millberg knew there was a better way. He worked with EnergyCAP's implementation solutions team to receive electronic bills from the City's primary electric vendor, Xcel Energy. According to Millberg, "I import the invoices into EnergyCAP with the script that was created for us, and with a few keystrokes, I can enter up to 20 invoices in just 5 minutes."
The City had also pledged in 2007 to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 7 percent below 1990 levels by 2012 (Kyoto Protocol). Since then, the City has increased the goal, setting a 15 percent reduction goal of greenhouse gas emissions by 2015. By tracking the City's energy usage in EnergyCAP, it can easily track its greenhouse gas emissions at the same time, and remain focused on meeting its reduction goals.
Another benefit Millberg has received from EnergyCAP is quantifying cost savings. Using EnergyCAP, Millberg can understand how an energy savings project has affected energy consumption and demonstrate the savings obtained from the special project. For example, Millberg oversaw a project where an office was re-lamped and carbon dioxide monitors were added to the air handling equipment to ensure efficiency of steam boilers. The retrofits cost the City $78,000, but with EnergyCAP, Millberg demonstrated that the City avoided $98,000 in steam and electricity use the following year (a net savings of $20,000).
The City has streamlined accounting processes, and the energy management office now has enough data to begin benchmarking buildings with ENERGY STAR. Electronic invoicing and bill payment procedures are saving time and money, and Millberg is able to devote less time to logistics and more time to accurately quantifying savings and reaching the City's efficiency goals.
More details about Minneapolis' improvements are in the case study.
EnergyCAP energy management software is used by government, commercial, and education clients of all sizes to identify billing errors, benchmark buildings to spot inefficiencies, motivate occupants to conserve, run reports to present data, track greenhouse gas emissions, measure and verify energy management performance, and perform campus chargeback billing.
A webinar series on maximizing city/county energy and sustainability data is available at www.EnergyCAP.com/government.
About EnergyCAP
EnergyCAP is the best-selling energy management software. With online and installed software for organizations of any size, EnergyCAP delivers powerful energy and greenhouse gas tracking, utility bill processing, reporting, analyzing, and benchmarking. An ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year, Inc. 5000 Fastest-Growing Private Company, and industry leader for over 30 years, EnergyCAP provides implementation, training, bill processing, and support services. The website is www.EnergyCAP.com. (For sales in Canada, please contact EnergyCAP Canada at www.EnergyCAP.ca)