AMC meets, exceeds Air Force ground energy goals

  • Published
  • By Thomas G. Kistler
  • Air Mobility Command Public Affairs
SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. --  Air Mobility Command has saved millions of dollars through energy-efficient projects across its 13 installations. With an annual energy bill of $100 million, it plans to save even more.

As a leader in energy and water conservation efforts, AMC continues to aggressively pursue the federally mandated goal of a 30 percent reduction of facility energy use and a 16 percent reduction in water use by fiscal year 2015.

The command met the FY 2010 Air Force energy goal of a 15 percent reduction and more than tripled the 6 percent water goal with a 21 percent in savings. Figures aren't in yet for FY 2011, but the command expects to exceed that year's interim goals as well.

AMC continues to look across a wide spectrum of efficiency opportunities, said Steve Kalmer, the command energy and utilities engineering program manager.

"We've looked at every base," Kalmer said. "We've looked at solar, wind and biomass. There's a lot of renewable potential out there."

For example, Joint Base Charleston, S.C., reduced its energy use significantly through projects such as geothermal heat pumps and the retrofit of a chiller plant that air conditions four dormitories and the base dining facility. The retrofit cost approximately $50,000 but has already paid for itself in savings, Kalmer said.

Using the newly installed energy management controls, civil engineers monitor the chiller plant at a central location and adjust the output as the demand and conditions change. Now, rather than running constantly at full speed, the chiller can slow down and save energy when full speed is unnecessary.

Other AMC installation energy saving examples include:

· At Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J., studies have shown that a solar photovoltaic system could generate 16 mega watts of electricity. This would be enough electricity to power approximately 8,100 computers, 24 hours per day for a whole year. The project is currently under development through a power purchase agreement that results in zero up-front costs to the Air Force.

· A study at McConnell Air Force Base, Kan., established that a series of wind turbines built on old missile silos 20 miles from the base could save eight mega watts per year. This would be more than 35 percent of the base's electricity requirement and would save the equivalent CO2 emissions from approximately 2,800 cars each year. Feasibility studies are ongoing to compare the savings versus the cost of constructing the wind farm.

· Other projects in development are ground source heat pumps at JB Charleston, Scott AFB, Ill., McConnell and Grand Forks AFB, N.D. Unlike geothermal heating, which goes deep underground, these heat pumps use the earth just 20 feet below the surface to pre-heat or pre-cool the air. Studies have shown the four bases would save the command 200,000 million British Thermal Units (BTUs) per year. This is enough energy to power more than 2,000 homes annually.

· Studies have also identified the potential for both direct combustion and gasification biomass generation at JB MDL, Scott and Travis AFB, Calif. Biomass generators can burn materials such as grass clippings, corn stover, beanstalks, oat straw, tree clipping and many other combustible materials turning that into useable energy.

However, these waste items are not cost-free or even inexpensive. Around Scott AFB, for example, with its surrounding acres of corn and bean fields, farmers prefer to use the ground-up stalks as fertilizer for next year's crop rather than give them away and have to buy chemical fertilizer. This is an example of one of the many factors involved in computing the viability of renewable energy generation.

· Another excellent installation energy savings example is Fairchild AFB, Wash., where Mr. Michael Miller, an Energy Management Control Systems operator with the 92nd Civil Engineer Squadron was awarded the U.S. Federal Energy Management Program's 2011 Federal Energy and Water Management Award for Exceptional Service.

Over 20 years, Miller led and overseen the installation and operation of three Energy Management Control Systems. His projects will accrue total lifetime savings of 1,326,000 BTUs, $7,900,000 in cost savings, and avoided emissions of 70,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide," King wrote.

AMC's Installation and Mission Support Directorate's Operations Division ensures major infrastructure systems such as airfields, roofs, heating and cooling, electrical distribution, water, wastewater and natural gas are supporting the mission.

The team works closely with AMC installations to determine impacts on mission, energy conservation and efficiency measures. Their energy vision is to "reduce demand through conservation and efficiency, increase supply through alternative energy sources where cost effective and create a culture where all Airmen make energy conservation a consideration in everything they do."

(Mr Scott King, 92nd Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs, contributed to this report.)