Cutting Energy Costs

Bank of America Corp. serves customers in 190 countries, and uses a lot of energy doing so. That's why BoA for the past year has been using an energy-management system from WebGen Systems Inc. in 78 buildings in California to monitor and control its use of electricity.

The system helped the bank quickly scale back usage when requested by the state during periods of peak demand.

It also helped the bank cut energy costs by about 20% in the buildings it monitors, estimates Larry Larson, the senior VP responsible for energy usage. It provides real-time data and control for building operations, including controlling when systems are turned on and off. Larson says the WebGen system will be rolled out to bank buildings nationwide next month.

Energy-management systems can save companies "at least 10% to 20% and often more," says Ritchie Priddy, an analyst at Cambridge Energy Research Associates. "These systems can help any company become more energy efficient."