Controlling 200 Remote Buildings Savings at Cornwall County Council have increased to £714,000 pa following investment in Allen-Martin's computer aided Energy Management System. In March alone, their Energy Management Unit saves £10,000, the cost of visiting 200 sites to reset clocks controlling energy-using plant. The work was done automatically by an Energy Management System at County Hall in Truro.

The original objective of their energy conservation programme was to reduce energy consumption by 15% in five years. Annual savings increased from £116,000 in 1987 to £714,000 in 1991 during which time, all sites were integrated at a total cost of £614,000.

There are now over 200 controlled buildings in the county. These have a variety of heating systems using gas, electricity and oil, as well as air-conditioning plant. There are 160 schools and many other estate buildings occupied by police, fire services, social services, offices, libraries and elderly persons' homes.

Each building has a series of sensors and outstations providing information to an on-site computer, which then passes information to a centralised personal computer housed in the Energy Management Unit office at County Hall, Truro.

The Allen-Martin System affords additional economy by creating heating zones rather than having to warm entire buildings during times of low occupancy. Heating periods for each zone can be pre-programmed, or adjusted at the last moment either by the Central Unit or by individual Energy Managers on site.

From savings already made, the Council is now in a position to finance the improvement of control devices at all sites, thus achieving further energy savings.