Energy usage down in uptown Charlotte

CHARLOTTE, N.C., Oct. 11, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Energy usage in uptown Charlotte is headed in the right direction – down, according to preliminary data Duke Energy has been gathering for nearly a year as part of the company's Smart Energy Now^® energy reduction pilot program that provides foundational support for Envision Charlotte, a city-wide initiative to make Charlotte a more sustainable city. 

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Duke Energy, along with Charlotte Mayor Anthony Foxx, shared the positive news Tuesday during a luncheon recognizing business leaders whose companies are encouraging their employees to participate in the program.

Smart Energy Now^® is a behavior-based program developed to encourage office workers to take personal energy–saving actions in their offices. The program launched in 2011. To date, more than 800 uptown office workers have attended training to learn how to promote energy efficiency to their co-workers; more than 1,500 have opted in to receive newsletters and other correspondence; @DE_SmartEnergyNow has over 500 followers on Twitter; and more than 600 employees have publicly pledged action to reduce energy usage.

A key component of Smart Energy Now^® is the interactive kiosks installed in the participating buildings. The kiosks, provided by Cisco and powered by Verizon's 4G LTE network, provide building tenants with the city's near real-time energy usage information.

"Technology has made it possible for us to gather energy usage data more frequently," said Vincent Davis, director of the Duke Energy program. "Looking at the usage data we've collected for the kiosks the last 12 months, energy usage is down, and that's a good indication we are succeeding in creating a community-centric program focused on reducing wasted energy across the city, and it is making a difference."

"The fact that Envision Charlotte is already having a measurable impact on energy use in our city just a year after its introduction is testament to the unique public-private support the initiative enjoys and the efforts by Center City office workers to improve their personal energy habits," Foxx said. "Envision Charlotte is about better bottom lines for our companies, a better environment for our city and a better quality of life for our citizens. This data shows that, together, we are making progress toward achieving those goals."

Duke Energy expects to share actual saving results next year. Final results will be determined by an independent expert third-party firm using a rigorous measurement and verification process.

Envision Charlotte Focused on More than Energy

Envision Charlotte was announced at the 2010 Clinton Global Initiative by Duke Energy CEO Jim Rogers, Cisco CEO John Chambers, Charlotte Mayor Anthony Foxx and Charlotte Center City Partners CEO Michael Smith. When announced, the primary goal of Envision Charlotte was to reduce energy usage by 20 percent over the next five years – the equivalent energy to power about 40,000 residential homes.

Since the announcement at CGI, Envision Charlotte has grown and is now a non-profit, 501(c)3 organization with a comprehensive strategy for environmental sustainability in energy, air, water and waste.

Duke Energy is the largest electric power holding company in the United States with more than $100 billion in total assets. Its regulated utility operations serve approximately 7.1 million electric customers located in six states in the Southeast and Midwest. Its commercial power and international business segments own and operate diverse power generation assets in North America and Latin America, including a growing portfolio of renewable energy assets in the United States.

Headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., Duke Energy is a Fortune 250 company traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol DUK. More information about the company is available at: www.duke-energy.com.

SOURCE Duke Energy