town of Apex meets goals with SmartPTO

A municipality in central North Carolina, the town of Apex was looking to make progress toward their sustainability goals. Reducing their carbon footprint was a key benchmark to meet. “The goal is for us to maintain personal, social, economic, and environmental wellness with smart practices today, so our families can do the same in the future.” They quickly noticed reduced fuel and maintenance costs because their trucks no longer sit idling at worksites.

Apex was awarded funding through the Clean Fuel Advanced Technology (CFAT) project by N.C. Clean Energy Technology Center (NCCETC) at N.C. State University to install SmartPTO units on their bucket trucks and tree trimming trucks.

The SmartPTO is a safety tool

“The ePTO is to me one of the best safety tools, by taking the roaring noise of the engine out of the worksite equation,” says Eric Neumann, Electric Utilities Director for Apex, NC. “It allows me to communicate with the crew around the truck. The communication between the bucket operator and the ground crew is amazing. Better communication greatly reduces incidents resulting from misunderstanding.”

Saving on fuel and maintenance

“We’re noticing a significant reduction in engine operating times that has translated into large fuel savings,” says Neumann. Not only is Apex meeting sustainability goals, they’re also noticing a reduction in fuel and maintenance costs and a much more effective work environment for everyone at the worksite.