Industry:
Public Transit
The Client:
Metrolinx is the regional transit and transportation authority for the Greater Toronto and Hamilton area.
How One Transit Authority Turned 500 Idling Buses into an Energy Saving Opportunity
Metrolinx transformed their approach to energy management by implementing a comprehensive strategy that included employee education, building automation, and fleet optimization.
The Challenges
As a large transportation authority, Metrolinx faced significant challenges managing energy costs across their extensive operations, including nearly 500 buses and multiple rail lines. They needed to transform their organizational culture to view energy as a controllable expense while creating a unified energy management strategy that could address diverse operational needs.
The 360 Solution
- Education and Training: Provided education to understand energy consumption and costs.
- Building Automation Tools: Utilized building automation tools to control energy during off-peak times.
- Energy Policy and Corporate Energy Management Plan: Guided the development of a comprehensive energy management plan.
The Results
- Cost Savings: Energy initiatives across all divisions delivered annual savings of millions off dollars.
- Energy Savings: Reduced idling time across almost 500 buses, leading to significant energy savings.
- Cultural Shift: Moved from viewing energy as just a number on a balance sheet to a controllable and strategic expense.
“I was the biggest skeptic when I initially got invited to attend. What is it that I could do, what could I learn? Through this process, I’ve learned that energy is not just a number on a spreadsheet. There are actually underlying reasons why we have our bills and what we can do to contain it. This process has taught me how we purchase energy, how we use energy, and most of all, it's not just a number on a spreadsheet.”
