October is Energy Awareness Month

  • Published
  • By Kent Seaton
  • 341st Civil Engineer Squadron Energy Manager
MALMSTROM AIR FORCE BASE, Mont. --  Malmstrom AFB won the Air Force Reducing Energy Appreciation Program award for energy reduction efforts in fiscal year 2008. Malmstrom was one of three bases in the Air Force with the highest energy reduction improvement. The award was presented by Brig. Gen. Timothy Byers, the Air Force Civil Engineer, at the 2009 GovEnergy Conference. In turn,the award was then presented to wing leadership at the Energy Management Steering Group meeting Sept. 11. 

The Energy Management Steering Group has three working groups to help reduce energy consumption: facility energy, vehicle energy and organizational efficiency. Each group looks at four pillars: improve present infrastructure, improve future infrastructure, expand renewables, and manage costs. The facility group is working to improve designs, construction and operation of all base facilities. The vehicle energy group is reducing vehicle fuel consumption by procuring better vehicles, including low-speed vehicles and vehicles that can use flex-fuel. Fuel purchases include more biofuels - E85 and BioDiesel. The organizational efficiency group is looking at how base organizations work, use their tools, appliances, vehicles and facility space -to make improvements and reduce energy use. 

Some of the major projects being worked are a $12.8 million project to improve energy efficiency in more than 60 buildings on base, saving more than $1.5 million per year in energy costs. One project is a ground source heat pump for one of the dormitories. It uses the earth as a heat sink to help heat and cool the building, saving $17,000 per year. Installation of a state-of-the-art energy management and control system to monitor and control heating and cooling systems on base is another project. A wind energy study on base is being performed to see if we can produce our own power. 

October is Energy Awareness month. The slogan for this year is "A Sustainable Energy Future - We're putting all the pieces together. Be part of the solution to climate changes and help build a clean energy economy." From the President and Congress, through the DoD, Headquarters Air Force, Air Force Space Command, down to the Wing -- energy challenges present themselves every day. It is used in aircraft, vehicles and facilities.
In FY08, the Air Force spent more than $9 billion for energy - 84 percent in aviation fuel, 12 percent in facility energy, and 4 percent in ground vehicles and equipment. 

Malmstrom spent approximately $9.6 million in facility energy, $1.9 million in vehicle fuel, and $407,000 in aviation fuel, for a total of $11.9 million. Did you know that this works out to $32,622 per day for Malmstrom? 

The federally-mandated goal for this year is 12 percent. In the current fiscal year to-date, Malmstrom has made an energy reduction of 14.5 percent, based on the baseline year of FY03. Energy conservation efforts here have done very well, but more can always be done to improve efforts. 

During the month of October, there will be more articles in this publication about ideas encouraging energy conservation on base and at your home. A display table at the base exchange starting Oct. 5th will show new products and answer questions about how to save energy. The base's children will also be exposed through a program at the Loy School to energize families to save energy. An energy Web site is coming soon where people can see what the 341st CES is doing and they can e-mail questions or suggestions. 

Catch on to thinking of ways to make energy conservation a part of everything we do ... it's not only the right thing to do it's the right thing for the planet.