By Staff Sgt. Jake Barreiro
19th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
The month of October is often associated with changes. Youths, abandoned by the wistful days of summer and far removed from the barbecue and pool-filled joys of Labor Day weekend, are firmly trenched in the school year. October also marks the fiscal New Year, where companies and businesses begin anew. The weather also begins to turn, as the humid and balmy days of summer relent to the chilled winds of fall. Even the foliage and shrubbery turns color, and pumpkin-flavored goods and Halloween trinkets flood store aisles and markets, soon to give way to flashy holiday colors.
October also marks an important month for the Air Force: Energy Action Month. The goal of Energy Action Month is to highlight the importance of the Air Force’s energy conservation program as well as the goals of reducing output and sustaining existing energy sources. Not just in October, but all year round the Air Force wants to save taxpayer dollars, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and contribute to national security through making wise decisions with energy conservation. Energy Action Month is about promoting awareness of ways to conserve energy, highlighting positive practices and changing bad habits that lead to waste.
Little Rock Air Force Base is contributing to this cause with a strong energy management control system as well as conserving water on base.
“We’ve come a long way on this base,” said Reuben Thonerfelt, 19th Civil Engineer Squadron energy manager. “We’re required to reduce our energy footprint three percent per year as well as our overall output two percent per year. We’re already saving millions of dollars a year on energy and in the last five years we’ve cut the base’s water consumption in half.”
A pivotal part of the base’s energy conservation initiative is implementing building control units in more than 100 buildings on base. Thonerfelt said the BCUs automatically set and regulate a building’s temperature in the summer and winter time, controlling how heated or cooled the building is. Additionally there are alarms built into the system, which alerts monitors if a building is outside of the appropriate temperature range, in effect making the buildings “smart.”
Another champion in the base’s fight to conserve energy is the recently erected water tank next to the base exchange.
The tank was built a little over two years ago as part of a major water saving initiative. Thonerfelt said the insulation in the tank fights off waterheating in the summertime, seriously reducing the costs on cooling down water. Thanks in part to the tank, the base uses 50 million gallons less of water than it did five years ago.
In addition to big initiatives on base to conserve energy, there are small tips to help everyone contribute and work together for a more energy conscious future, such as logging off of the computer at the end of the duty day. A lot of practices at the office can also help Airmen, civilians or contractors conserve energy and save money at home as well, like regulating thermostats or reducing the use of appliances that aren’t being used.
Energy Action Month is observed every October, but Air Force leadership stresses that it shouldn’t just be regulated to a once a year reminder, energy action should be lived by Airmen, civilians and contractors all the time.
As the weather turns even colder and trick or treating gives way to celebrating with the family during the holidays, the Air Force wants all of their personnel to be conscious of energy consumption, doing which would be a boon for the Air Force as well as its personnel. Energy conservation isn’t a one and done observance, it’s a way of life.
For more information about the benefits the water tank provides to the base go to http://www.littlerock.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123276520
To view a video about Air Force Energy and the Energy Action Month campaign go to the Air Force’s Civil Engineer YouTube page at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QQNW1b5vyVQ.
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