Do your part in saving energy

  • Published
  • By Hugh Phillips and Errol Peart
  • Base Civil Engineering
October is Energy Action Month, a time to think about the importance of energy in our daily lives, in the lives of our families, and in our ability to accomplish our mission.  Without energy - we can't meet our mission.

Dobbins' members can take part in Energy Action Week, participating in a gift drawing by downloading the Energy Week Trivia Sheet, answering each question correctly and taking it to the Dobbins Consolidated Club before 11:00 a.m., Oct. 31, 2014!

One entry containing the correct quiz answers will be selected. The winner to be contacted by phone. For more information, call 678-655-3537. Save Energy!


Introduction
Energy fits directly into a very broad mission related strategy.  To protect the security of our nation, we must have access to reliable supplies of energy and the ability to protect and deliver enough fuel to meet our operational requirements.

The theme for Energy Action Month is "I am Air Force Energy," because we all have a role to play in ensuring energy security and achieving our mission to fly, fight and win, in air, space and cyberspace.

In 2013, the Air Force spent 9 billion dollars on fuel and electricity - more than twice what we spent ten years ago.  To put in perspective, that is the same cost for approximately 12 CV-22s, 12 C-17s, 36 MQ-9 drones, and 24 F-22 fighters.  Fuel and electricity now make up almost 10 percent of the Air Force's budget, and every dollar we don't spend on energy allows us to invest that dollar into you, your family, and our mission. 

Beyond cost, there are risks of being solely dependent on traditional energy supplies.  Sole dependency exposes us to access and cost problems in the event of natural disasters, accidents, terrorism and political instability. These dependencies add risk to our core mission support functions and can jeopardize effectiveness.

Air Force Initiatives
In order to maximize funds to support you and reduce risk to our mission, when it comes to energy, the Air Force is working to Improve Resiliency, Reduce Demand, Assure Supply and Foster an Energy Aware Culture.

In aviation, our Airmen reduce fuel consumption by eliminating unnecessary cargo, flying more fuel efficient routes, cleaning engines regularly, and even loading cargo in a new way to better balance aircraft.  These initiatives allow our Mobility Air Force to transport a ton of cargo 9.5 percent farther on a gallon of fuel, while decreasing costs by 8.6 percent. At Altus Air Force Base, similar initiatives saved the base a combined 64 million dollars last year.

We certified our fleet on alternative fuel blends of 50-percent biofuel and 50-percent petroleum-based fuel.  This will allow the Air Force to be more flexible in the coming years as domestically-produced, clean alternatives to petroleum are made available.

In Installations, you and our civil engineers have reduced facility energy intensity 22 percent Air Force wide since 2003 by replacing inefficient light fixtures, upgrading windows and doors, installing occupancy sensors and controlling inside temperature set-points.  At the end of 2013, we had 286 solar, wind, and other renewable energy projects in operation or under construction at 92 Air Force installations with 92 megawatts of generating capacity. 

Current Dobbins projects
· Upgrade to base Utility Control and Monitoring System and Heating Ventilating and Air Conditioning (HVAC) controls.

· Replace lighting with efficient lighting fixtures.  A recent experiment includes an LED street light fixture at the corner of Gym road and Atlantic.  This fixture can be compared to the surrounding fixtures and is brighter and spreads light out farther with lower energy consumption than the older lamps around it.  And with a neutral color it improves security.  We will be installing additional fixtures in the near future.

·  Install lighting controls, including occupancy fixtures.  Presently all of our larger and many of our smaller facilities have some type of energy saving lighting controls.

·  In the next year Dobbins expects to save energy on our HVAC equipment and controls, new energy efficient boilers, installation of energy efficient electric motors, and new energy efficient lighting fixtures.

Dobbins ARB has been a leader in energy reduction.  Since 2003 Dobbins has saved over 37% in natural gas and electricity per square foot of building space.  This exceeds our goal of 35% in FY 2015.  Please help us to stay on track for energy savings this year.

"I Am Air Force Energy"
These initiatives all play a big role in helping achieve our energy goals, but our most powerful change agents are our Airmen. 

The Air Force was founded on new technologies and innovation in energy is a natural extension of this legacy. 

You help us achieve our goals when you:
· Reduce idling in vehicles.  Thirty minutes of idling burns through one gallon of gas.

· Consolidate personal appliances like coffee makers or microwaves in break rooms.

·  Call CE if your building is too cold in the summer or too hot in the winter. They can adjust the temperature set point and save energy.

·  Look at the job you do every day -- each individual can personally impact the Air Force energy vision.  Keep evaluating how you use energy and find ways to use it smarter.

By identifying new, more efficient policies, processes, and technologies in the ways that we use energy, you are helping us limit our costs, enhance our readiness, and expand our capability.  Many of your fellow Airmen have already begun innovating, and their hard work and ingenuity is being recognized outside DoD.

The Department of Energy recognized the outstanding work of Airmen with eight Federal Energy Management Program awards this year - the most of any Service.  These winners helped save the Air Force more than $150 million and 42 million gallons of jet fuel.  These eight winners bring the Air Force's total to 29 FEMP winners in the last five years, more than any other Service or federal government entity.

Conclusion
These examples underline that we are not just focused on energy because of a mandate or to meet a goal.  Improving resiliency, reducing demand, increasing supply and fostering an energy aware culture are critical to allow the Air Force to pursue our mission and secure the future of this nation. 

The "I Am Air Force Energy" theme speaks not only to the progress that our Airmen have made but also how we all can make a difference in helping the Air Force become more energy secure. 

YOU are Air Force Energy, and through efforts both big and small your innovation is key to our ability to achieve our mission and maintain an assured energy advantage in air, space and cyberspace.