EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- The 412th Test Wing’s 412th Civil Engineer Group hosted their annual Energy Action Month event at the Base Exchange on Edwards Air Force Base, California, Oct. 17.
The event showcased the various ways different agencies around the base are using innovative ways to demonstrate this year’s theme of “Protect the Power,” said John Shartzer, an engineering technician with 412th CEG, Energy Management Section.
“We’ve invited our vendors to introduce themselves to the base populace so we can explain what we’re doing as a team,” Shartzer said.
One of the projects the 412th CEG oversees is the LED Lighting Upgrade. The CEG group has finished with the first two phases of their LED Lighting Upgrade, which saw 16 buildings around the base upgrade to LED lighting. Phase 3 is slated to convert 40 more buildings in the near future.
The program improved working conditions by creating a safer work environment, LED lights also cost less to maintain and are more energy efficient garnering $500,000 in annual energy savings according to the Energy Management Section. The project aims to improve the quality of life for Edwards’ personnel, said Richard Morris, an engineer with the Energy Management Section.
“The bottom line for them is we want to make sure wherever they work, we’re making it energy efficient, we’re conserving as much energy as we can, and we’re giving them a lot better environment to work in because who wants to work in a dim office?” Morris said. “The quality of work goes down, people get tired, but when it’s well lit, we’re increasing productivity and raise spirits.”
The 412th CEG is also spearheading other energy-conserving projects around the base. One project is the use of phase-changing materials in buildings. The PCM absorbs heat and conversely releases it when needed to reduce energy consumption.
Another project that is being spearheaded at Edwards is the installation of gas-powered micro-turbines. There are currently two turbines installed the Oasis Pool that generates 130 kW of electricity and saves $104,000 annually. The 412th CEG is currently planning to install a micro-turbine generator at the Ridley Mission Control Center that will generate 1 mW of power, Shartzer said.
“We’re actually generating electricity over at the base swimming pool using a gas micro-turbine that combines heat and power,” Morris said. “We’re taking a utility that we pay less for, which is natural gas, to generate a utility that costs more, which is electricity, and at meantime, we’re heating the pool with that technology.”
Shartzer said that energy conservation should not only be limited to the base, but it is something everybody should look in to. Energy conservation reduces the load and demand for energy, and more importantly saves money for both the individual and tax payers.
“What we ask everybody to do is to just consider energy in everything they do, not only on the installation, but at home,” Shartzer said. “Since we have such a large civilian work force, we want them to be good neighbors to the installation and also to the community.”