N EWS & T RE N D S
Homes' team members. Each company's numeric scores are averaged, and then an alpha designator—ranging from "A" to "F"—is assigned relative to its ranking with all of the other national trading partners. The Partners of Choice Awards are pre-
sented to suppliers who maintained either an "AA" for both Quality and Service or an "A" in Quality or Service for the previ- ous twelve months. Trane received an "AA" ranking for both Quality and Service and is one of only 10 companies out of 150 suppliers to join this elite group in 2011.
US ENERGY GROUP, SPECIAL APPLIED INTELLIGENCE AND SPRINT COLLABORATE TO MAKE BUILDINGS MORE ENERGY EFFICIENT US Energy Group and Special Applied Intelligence have announced an agreement to deliver wireless 4G service to buildings with US Energy Group's Building Energy Management Systems (BEMS). Last fall US Energy began a five-building trial of Special AI's ManagedGrid.net service, running on the Sprint 4G network. US Energy now relies on ManagedGrid.net for connectivity to over 120 critical locations in New York City with more being installed daily. According to the U.S. Green Buildings
Council, residential and commercial buildings account for 39 percent of car- bon emissions, with the Department of Energy citing commercial buildings as responsible for 15 percent of greenhouse gas emissions. The USE Controller BEMS reduces fuel use by 15-35%, with payback in less than two years. In this recent five- building trial, fuel use decreased by 22%. Similar results have been demonstrated across numerous portfolios. Additionally, tenants said they were much more com- fortable with the building temperature and no longer had to open windows to vent excess heat. ManagedGrid.net is a turn-key Internet
access solution, designed specifically for use in building applications such as US Energy's USE Controller BEMS. Other common uses of ManagedGrid.net include building security systems, video surveillance, key-fob entrances, and vir-
www.fueloilnews.com | FUEL OIL NEWS | SEPTEMBER 2011 11
tual doorman systems. Unlike traditional ISPs, Special AI can install ManagedGrid. net at new sites and get them on line in just a couple of days.
ALTWHEELS FLEET DAY AltWheels Fleet Day is an invitation only
day for the largest corporate and munici- pal Fleet Managers on the East Coast. The day consists of panels, exhibits, and vehicles offering a showcase of alternative transportation solutions — from concept vehicles, to vehicles that are available and affordable today. This year's Fleet Day will
