Cutting kilowatts

As a key component of its energy-saving efforts, Springfield hired Buffalo Grove, Ill.-based Siemens Building Technologies to replace the ancient oil-fired boilers in more than two dozen city buildings, and install automatic light sensors and energy misers on computers and vending machines. The heating system upgrades, financed through city bonds, will pay for themselves in 12 years, and electricity consumption has been cut by 2.5 million kilowatt hours.