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Houston Looks to Save Energy Through Vending Machines |
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Tuesday, 20 November 2007 |
Houston has recently joined the ranks of Oklahoma City and Humboldt County in Northern California when it comes to making decisions toward energy consumption with vending machines.
Last month, the city installed VendingMisers, an energy control product from the EnergyMiser line of USA Technologies, in beverage vending machines in city buildings as part of a concerted program to reduce energy consumption and CO2 emissions.
“This is just one of many actions we are taking throughout the city to manage our costs and save energy,” says Houston’s Mayor Bill White. In his 2007 State of the City address he challenged Houston commercial businesses and the general community to join the city in slowing energy consumption in the next three years.
The city of Houston purchased nearly 300 VendingMiser devices for refrigerated beverage vending machines in city-owned and operated buildings, facilities and parks. The city expects the VendingMisers to reduce vending machine electricity consumption by 40 to 50 percent, representing an annual savings of nearly $35,000. The action comes after the Texas legislature passed legislation that required vending machines in public buildings to be equipped with energy saving devices as part of a program to improve energy efficiency in the state.
“Our goal is to make Houston the energy conservation capital of the world,” says White.
The Houston order was purchased through the General Services Administration (GSA), which allows federal, state and local governments and agencies to purchase the EnergyMiser product line directly from USA Technologies.
Earlier this year, Oklahoma City installed EnergyMisers on vending machines in the Cox/Ford Convention Center, Civic Center, city fire stations and other government buildings. More recently, Humboldt County on the coast of Northern California launched a program to lower energy consumption and CO2 emissions by installing EnergyMisers in 400 refrigerated vending machines across the county.
“There has been a steady increase in the number of local governments and communities purchasing EnergyMisers to lower the cost of operating vending machines and coolers,” says Stephen Herbert, president and COO, USA Technologies, “and the trend is accelerating as the demand and cost of energy shows no sign of easing.”
Simply put, White says, “It makes good business sense.”
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