‘I am Air Force Energy’ campaign kicks off

  • Published
  • By Bruce Finley
  • 66th Air Base Group energy manager
HANSCOM AIR FORCE BASE, Mass. --  October is Energy Action Month and provides an opportunity to promote energy and water conservation awareness to Airmen as part of a national campaign led by the Department of Energy.

This year's theme, "I am Air Force Energy," puts personnel at the center of the campaign. The goal is to inspire the total force to make a commitment to a continual change in organizational and personal energy use and help Airmen realize they can make a difference in overall Air Force energy efforts.

Beginning earlier this month, the Air Force began highlighting energy success stories from around the Air Force enterprise in videos, fact sheets and articles distributed via the Air Force website, Facebook, YouTube and base newspapers. These celebrate the innovative ideas and accomplishments of Airmen at all levels across the country and around the world and provide energy-saving tips to reduce energy and water use and save money.

"Every Airman is charged to 'make energy a consideration in all we do' and through active awareness and training programs we enforce that charge," said Maj. Gen. Timothy Byers, the Air Force Civil Engineer. "We must take the lead in energy conservation, renewable energy utilization and energy security as the Air Force seeks to save energy, reduce costs and keep our country insulated from the volatility energy engenders."

All the data is not in yet, but the Air Force estimates it spent more than $10 billion on energy in fiscal year 2012, almost 10 percent of its total budget.

"The Air Force is fully committed to improving resiliency, reducing demand, assuring supply and fostering an energy aware culture," said Terry Yonkers, assistant secretary of Air Force installations, environment and logistics. "The overriding concern is to secure energy for the future."

Achieving each of these goals - improving resiliency, reducing demand, assuring supply and fostering an energy aware culture - involves the hard work and innovation of Airmen. In the last year, a number of Airmen have gone above and beyond to have a real impact, including right here at Hanscom.

Improve resiliency:
Over the past two years, numerous leaks have been spotted along a number of steam and condensate lines here on base. As a result of rapid identification and reparation of these leaks, the base has cut its natural gas losses by more than half, saving more than $7,000 per month in utility bills.

Reduce demand:
Hanscom has also recognized that the quickest and most efficient way to guard itself against system deterioration and leakage is to not need the energy or water in the first place. As a result, the civil engineering group has funded a variety of projects to install new building controls that will better regulate indoor temperatures when buildings are not occupied, saving hundreds of thousands of dollars in energy costs during winter and summer. Base personnel can assist these initiatives by ensuring windows and doors are closed when not in use.

Fostering an aware culture:
The Air Force is implementing energy awareness training and education for Airmen, civilians and contractors during basic training, officer training, technical school and more. There is also an online outreach module available to all Air Force personnel with a Common Access Card on the Advanced Distance Learning System. It provides energy tips specific to various job functions.

For more information on energy awareness, visit the Air Force's Energy Initiative website at www.af.mil/energyintiatives.