Airmen look for, develop, implement energy conservation methods Published July 24, 2008 By Chris Archer 305th Civil Engineer Squadron MCGUIRE AIR FORCE BASE, N.J. -- With summer upon us, and oil prices setting record highs almost daily, it's a great time to refocus on the wing's enduring theme of preserving our resources. As our 4th Air Force Chief of Staff, Gen. Thomas D. White, so eloquently stated (back in 1959!): "The mission of the Department of Defense is more than aircraft, guns and missiles. Part of the defense job is protecting the land, waters, timber and wildlife - the priceless natural resources that make this great nation of ours worth defending." Many Airmen are looking at ways to reduce their energy consumption and asking what are McGuire and its joint-base partners doing to address energy concerns? Designated a model energy base by the Secretary of the Air Force in 2007, McGuire is applying transformational leadership to reduce energy consumption in half by 2011 and is aggressively developing and implementing plans to become energy sustainable by 2015. McGuire engineers are close to awarding a comprehensive energy reduction contract which will cut energy usage basewide by more than 37 percent in the next two years through a combination of energy efficient lighting, smart energy control systems for our main facilities, replacement of the cumbersome central heat plant with smaller, more efficient boiler systems, and the re-outfitting of the chilled water plant with ultra-high efficiency equipment. Working with our partners at Fort Dix and Lakehurst, there are a number of exciting projects being worked here that will move us closer to energy sustainability. Because of the relatively high energy costs in New Jersey and the state's ambitious program to financially reward businesses that invest in solar projects, McGuire is looking to have large solar arrays constructed in land that could not otherwise be developed and on building rooftops. Preliminary studies indicate that solar panels could generate more than seven megawatts of power for the base and our partners, which is roughly half of our current energy demand. Another promising area being investigated is in the area of a bio-mass plant which converts bio-degradable materials into gas or electricity. The renewable gas from the bio mass plant would go a long way to meet heating requirements for the bases facilities. The Joint Base is also exploring the aggregation of energy contracts to obtain the best pricing for utilities. In the area of vehicles, many airmen on McGuire have been testing "E-ride" electric low speed vehicles. LSVs are vehicles that have top speeds of 30 mph and can be electric or traditional combustion engines, and get very high mileage. The electric "E-ride" vehicles have no emissions and move silently around the base. These vehicles are being looked at for multi-purpose use, so do not be surprised if you see strange vehicles silently traveling around the installation. McGuire has had 91 vehicle authorizations converted to LSVs; these vehicles will be arriving on base in August. McGuire also has been approved as a test site for hydrogen vehicles in partnership with General Motors. Funding for a hydrogen vehicle support facility is being requested for fiscal year 2009. Alternative and flex fuels are another area that is being explored to make McGuire more energy sustainable. Bio-diesel is being used in diesel vehicles and equipment through September. This is a product that is comprised of regular diesel fuel blended with renewable vegetable oil product. The base is pursuing an E-85 ethanol project that will allow gasoline vehicles to use yet another renewable fuel product. A number of cutting edge facility projects are underway. A geothermal heating/cooling project for Dormitory 2719 is currently being awarded. Geothermal heating/cooling uses the earth as a large heat sink. Groundwater is drawn from the earth and used in a heat exchange system. During the summer months heat is added to the water to cool a building and in the winter heat is extracted to heat the building. These systems are much more efficient than traditional natural gas heating systems. To take advantage of the bright sunny days, a number of photovoltaic projects are programmed to provide electricity to individual facilities on base, including the base library, dining hall and the main sewage lift station. The flying side is making significant strides to conserve energy. Working with our joint partner Lakehurst Naval Air Station, C-17 landing zone training is now being conducted at Lakehurst rather than Charleston, S.C., saving an estimated $7.8 million in fuel per year. Better utilization of simulation training is being used by aircrews to further reduce the amount of aircraft fuel needed. Many of the best ideas that went into making our resource conservation programs successful came from Airmen all across McGuire. In an effort to continue upon this proud tradition, we've established a Resource Conservation Working Group which is navigating a course for us to further push the envelope on preserving resources. All squadrons are encouraged to have representation at RCWG meetings - contact 305th Civil Engineer Squadron energy managers at (609) 754-4392 for further information on this. McGuire is providing transformational leadership to one of the 21st century's most pressing challenges - energy sustainability, embracing the SECAF's directive to make energy a consideration in all we do.