JOINT BASE MCGUIRE-DIX-LAKEHURST, N.J. -- The 787th Civil Engineer Squadron is entering phase two of the base-wide energy savings performance contract valued at nearly $140 million to increase energy resiliency and capability at the Department of Defense’s only tri-service joint base.
Ameresco, Inc. an Energy Service Company, has been awarded the contract to support critical energy infrastructure additions and upgrades.
The most noticeable improvement is the installment of ground mounted solar arrays by the McGuire gate and between multiple hangars at Lakehurst. The ground mounted solar arrays are more cost-effective than grid supplied electric power, produce cleaner power and help meet Federal renewable energy goals. This addition will enhance energy security, resiliency and mission assurance from the increased supply of on-site power generation.
The contract will also include the installation of a microgrid control system which will maintain the power of critical facilities even if commercial electrical power is lost. This is made possible by a battery energy storage system that acts as a giant uninterruptible power source and on-site natural gas fired generators.
“An attack or disruption on the electric could be a near peer adversary but the microgrid won’t allow that to breach our operations,” said Alexander Vincent, 787th Civil Engineer Squadron Chief of Energy. “Our critical buildings will still be fully operational, displaying how our resiliency has increased while responding and recovering from a disruption.”
A multitude of infrastructure and electrical advancements will be happening by leveraging new technologies. Over 300,000 new light-emitting diode fixtures will be installed along with an exterior smart city lighting controls system. The LED fixtures will increase light quality, reduce the cooling load throughout the base and automatically turn off lights that aren’t needed. Heating, ventilation and air conditioning performance will be improved, as well as an upgrade of existing transformers, increasing power quality and efficiency. These advancements allow for reduction of electrical losses, and operating and maintenance costs. Investing in the livelihood and maintenance of energy assurance sustains a better tomorrow.
“It’s not just about generating our own electricity, it’s also about reducing how much we use,” stated Vincent. “We’re not increasing greenhouse gas-emissions, which have other effects that we as a joint base would have to deal with.”
Overall, the advancements being made have an estimated $4.7 million in annual savings, 42% reduction in electric energy usage and a total energy reduction of 22%.
“We’re using those future savings to pay for all of this so there’s no substantial cost coming out of a current year budget.” stated Vincent. “This entire project is paid for by the savings it generates.”
The project will provide the necessary capabilities to enable joint force integration in support Combatant Commander requirements.