Energy-conservation actions, ideas help base make financial savings

  • Published
  • By Karen Abeyasekere
  • 100th Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs
RAF MILDENHALL, England --  October is Energy Awareness Month. Now, more than ever, this month highlights how vital it is to make savings wherever and however possible, with both finances and energy.

The former 100th Maintenance Group Commander Col. Joseph Rushlau saw this month as an opportunity to reduce his group's energy usage said Tech. Sgt. Ron Cooney, 100th Air Refueling Wing energy conservation program team lead and 100th Maintenance Squadron maintenance analysis NCO in charge.

Cooney previously worked in the 100th ARW's former Air Force Smart Operations for the 21st Century office, so Rushlau called him to find a way to save energy.

"This was a pretty big project, so I got with Steve Perry (100th Civil Engineer Squadron energy manager from Hockwold, Norfolk,) who I've worked with on other projects," said Cooney, a native of Johnstown, Pa. "We talked almost daily about trying to accomplish our goals."

Working alongside Perry and other 100th CES staff gave Cooney the tools and information he needed to begin his energy conservation program for the 100th MXG back in June 2013. For example, he learned that building 809 and Hangar 814 were the second and third highest consumers of energy on base, after the BXtra.

"With their help, I was able to find a way to track energy consumption in Hangar 814 and building 809," the technical sergeant said. "I look at it on a weekly basis and can see where we're still burning a lot of energy."

Through the online metering resource that he used to track those two facilities, Cooney began monitoring his own building's energy usage.

"I was able to monitor what we were doing; (the metering resource) breaks it down by hours and days," the NCO said. "I figured since I can do this, why not have all the facility managers do this."

With that, representatives from various units within each group developed an organic plan to conserve energy. Their initiatives included getting rid of excess refrigerators and reducing the amount of copiers and other electronic appliances, such as microwaves.

"We decided the facility managers would be the best points of contact," Cooney said. "Steve and I developed a training plan (for facility managers) which highlights things to look out for when it comes to energy awareness.

"Space heaters, personal air conditioners, refrigerators and transformers are all high-energy consumers."

Between the two initiatives, training and ability to monitor their own building's energy consumption, facility managers should be able to identify their building's strengths and weaknesses.

Facility managers will be aided in this by attending training to make them more aware of energy consumption.

For offices, Perry purchased plug-in meters which connect to electrical devices and show energy consumption and cost. These are available from the 100th CES for any Team Mildenhall member to use in the workplace.

"It's a cultural thing," Cooney said. "We are pulling refrigerators, but the real goal of the program is to be good stewards of resources, and for people to be responsible with energy because it is a finite resource. We want people to treat it as their own - there's a cultural stance that, 'it's not mine so I don't care - I won't turn off the light because I'm not paying for it.'

"So one of my objectives is to change that culture to be more cognizant of energy consumption; it does make a difference. We see what funding we have now, and we've seen how that impacts the mission," Cooney said. "We're not going to come up with ideas that impact mission effectiveness, but in offices where there is natural light during work hours, you can turn the lights off. This building (809) has great solar light, so why not take advantage of it?"

Members of the 100th CES are in the process of installing motion-sensor light switches in some buildings, which turn off lights when not in use..

Personnel in the 100th CES can monitor most of the buildings on base using the building management system. They can determine what room temperature settings are and adjust the settings to accommodate the work shift.

Building 809 is one where each room can be tapped into and monitored.

"If you have some offices that aren't being used, or are used as storage, you can turn down the settings to the absolute minimum," Cooney said. "The guys at (100th CES) aren't necessarily going to know who is using what, so we have to get the facility managers more involved, and that's exactly what we're doing."

Ultimately, part of the wing's plan is to modernize its central heating systems. Another energy- and money-saving idea is to switch to energy-efficient appliances.

"We procured a coffee pot which is 220 volts, rather than have one (which is 110 volts) plugged permanently into a transformer," Cooney said. "It's a simple idea, but still saves money over time."

The 100th MXG has saved more than $3,200 during August and September in energy costs, and much of that is due to Cooney's work and Airmen making the extra effort to be energy-conscious. The group also discarded old refrigerators, which saves them almost $140 per week.

One particular 100th MXG Airman who has been involved with this energy-saving project is Staff Sgt. Maurice King, the facility manager of Hangar 814 from Detroit, Mich.

He realized many doors in his facility had big gaps underneath, which let cold air in and heat out. Together, Cooney and King are working on a cost-savings analysis report to submit to the 100th CES.

"Improving the weather-stripping on the doors will help maintain the building's environment," King said. "Once (the cost-savings analysis report) is approved and the work is done, it will dramatically drop our energy bills."

King said he is also trying to arrange for the hallway radiators to be capped, in order to lower the energy footprint and save money.

Facility managers interested in receiving energy-conservation training should contact Perry at DSN 238-5660.

To see more energy conservation tips and ideas, visit http://www.mildenhall.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123367817