Pioneering Technology Corp. announced its agreement with the Building Technologies Division of Siemens to help increase energy efficiency and decrease maintenance costs for the Houston Housing Authority (HHA) - part of a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) national initiative. Pioneering’s contribution to the project was to provide and install 1,339 Safe-T-element (STE)cooking systems in the HHA’s facilities. The installation of the Safe-T-element cooking system both delivers energy savings and protects HHA residents from stovetop cooking fires, the # 1 cause of home and apartment fires. The savings generated from increased energy efficiency and the reduction in cooking fires will deliver a positive return on investment for the HHA. The HHA has taken progressive steps to improve the agency’s energy conservation measures across its public housing communities by taking advantage of federal initiatives, partnering with private companies and local energy providers, with an end goal of recouping millions of dollars in energy costs. Through an energy savings performance contract (ESPC) with Siemens, the HHA is developing and financing installation projects designed to improve energy efficiency and maintenance costs across its facilities. Other facility improvement measures that are part of the ESPC include irrigation upgrades and rainwater harvesting, energy management control systems and HVAC equipment upgrades, domestic water improvements and water heater replacements, lighting efficiency and transformer upgrades, building envelopes, and generators at senior living facilities.