CE seeking ways to reduce energy, water consumption

  • Published
  • By 66th Civil Engineering Division
  • Energy Management
HANSCOM AIR FORCE BASE, Mass. --  October is Energy Action Month. As part of the month-long campaign, the 66th Civil Engineering Division requests employees find ways to reduce energy and water consumption at work, home and in their communities.

Energy affects how we live, work and play. Responsible use of energy is not just about improving our environment, but also making sure that energy is affordable, reliable and available in the future.

Throughout October, every member of Team Hanscom is encouraged to be aware of the energy they consume on a daily basis and find ways to conserve energy and water. A kilowatt of electricity or a gallon of water saved today means that more of these critical resources will be available tomorrow. Take time this month to identify actions that can save energy, money and the environment.

This past year has been a banner year for energy and water savings for the base. Hanscom Air Force Base reduced water consumption by five million gallons and natural gas by more than 62 million cubic feet. However, there is a limit to how much energy that can be saved through facility and infrastructure improvement projects.

In order for the base to reach maximum savings potential, we need the support of those who live, work and play on base. Whether it is shutting off lights before you leave, unplugging appliances, or reporting facility problems to your facility manager, everyone can play a critical role in helping Hanscom reduce our energy and water consumption.

Hanscom AFB is in the process of evaluating an Energy Savings Performance Contract where the base will utilize a third party vendor, who specializes in energy savings measures, to examine potential for more efficient heating, ventilation, air conditioning (HVAC) systems, energy monitoring and control systems and water conservation. They will also examine small scale generating technologies such as solar wind, hydro or other new technologies.

For now, it's too early to know what solutions a contractor will propose; however, similar contracts at other bases have reduced energy and water consumption by as much as 10 percent.

Through a gift from Massachusetts, the Hanscom Energy Management team recently announced that Hanscom's first electric vehicle charging station will be installed at the 66th Logistics Readiness Center. This will provide the base with the capability to support electric vehicles as part of the government fleet. We hope this will lead to additional charging stations for electric and hybrid plug-in vehicles on base in the future.

CE continues to look for ways to reduce Hanscom's energy footprint year round. Those with energy saving ideas or suggestions, or who want to report energy or water waste, are encouraged to email members of the Energy Management team at chinh.phan.2@us.af.mil or brian.noury@us.af.mil.