Up to $300,000 in Lower Energy Costs Helps Keep Hendersonville Utility District Customer Bills Lower

NASHVILLE, Tenn., June 24 /PRNewswire/ -- The Hendersonville Utility District (HUD) – which operates one of Tennessee's best water plants – has helped keep its bills to customers lower by substantially cutting its electric usage and energy costs years before recession slammed U.S. businesses.

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The energy-reduction technologies in use at HUD, which serves 45,000 people in a district 15 miles north of Nashville, Tenn., were developed and installed by Energy Automation Systems, Inc. (EASI). HUD's superintendent said EASI's technologies are so effective the utility allows EASI to take visitors on plant tours to demonstrate its energy-saving equipment.

"EASI reduced our electric bills as much as 25 percent," said John Wunner, plant superintendent. "The equipment was installed in 2002. We can estimate that in the past seven full years this amounts to some $250,000 to $300,000 in savings, money that has enabled us to keep rates lower."

The EASI project cost $57,000; the venture paid for itself in a little more than a year.

The HUD water plant opened in 1984 with a four million gallon per-day capacity. In 1989 it expanded to eight million gallon per day. Winter billings are about $23,000 per month; during summer they can hit $35,000 per month, Wunner said. 

Wunner said EASI equipment has resulted in no maintenance costs.

"Nothing on their end has ever failed," Wunner said. EASI's equipment is expected to last another 25 years, with no maintenance.

The EASI technologies principally used to achieve the energy savings for HUD are called Easiliners, said Joe Merlo, EASI founder and chief executive officer.

"Easiliners improve the efficiency of electric motors and virtually eliminates waste from an electrical system," Merlo said. "Motors last longer, so there are reduced equipment replacement costs that go hand-in-hand with lower energy costs."

Wunner said EASI, "enables us to operate at our electrical threshold without us having to spend money to expand our system."

HUD won the best-tasting water awards in 2008 and 2009 for Nashville and neighboring counties. Out of 180 Tennessee water systems, HUD is one of 13 nominated for 2010 plant of the year.

Energy Automation Systems, Inc., (EASI) headquartered in Nashville, Tenn., has performed thousands of installations, in more than 60 countries, of its energy reduction technologies. Its website is www.energyautomation.com.

SOURCE Energy Automation Systems, Inc.