October is energy month Published Oct. 1, 2013 By Kyle Davies 20th CES SHAW AIR FORCE BASE, S.C. -- October is Energy Action Month for our nation and Air Force, providing an opportunity to promote energy and water conservation awareness as part of a national campaign led by the Department of Energy. Fostering an energy aware culture among all our Airmen is a crucial part of the Air Force's energy campaign. This year's campaign theme, 'I am Air Force Energy,' puts the Airman at the center. 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. Energy spending consumes almost ten percent of our Air Force budget, so every dollar, gallon, and kilowatt counts! Energy Action Month at Shaw this year comes on the heels of good news for energy reductions on base as multiple fiscal year 2013 energy conservation projects will be funded through The Air Force Civil Engineer Center and are to start construction in first quarter of 2014! Projects include: - Installing exterior LED parking and street lighting - Roughly 350 light poles will be renovated with new LED technology and will incorporate motion detection and dimming capabilities. LED lighting technology, the most efficient and longest lasting on the market, will save about 75% of the energy of the lights they will replace. - Upgrade Dining Facility HVAC - The inefficient steam system at the dining facility will be replaced with high efficiency natural gas. The new natural gas boiler system will be greater than 95% efficient, replacing a system that is less than 75% efficient. - Install programmable thermostats - Nearly 40 Offices and buildings on base will have programmable thermostats installed that will match heating and cooling run time with the occupancy schedules of each facility and will require temperature set points in line with the Shaw AFB Energy Management Policy. The project is estimated to save $24,000 per year. - Install lighting occupancy sensors - Multiple facilities on base that do not have occupancy/vacancy sensors will have them installed as part of this project. The project will save close to $49,000 annually. - Upgrade Operational Weather Squadron HVAC - Building 1900 will have installed a properly sized, stand-alone, computer room air-conditioner for its main server room. This will save approximately $11,000 per year by not running the buildings large chiller in the colder months to cool this space. Shaw AFB is also receiving energy design funds for two projects to be executed for construction in late fiscal year 2014: - Install variable frequency drives (VFDs) - VFDs control the motor speeds of heating and cooling systems equipment by matching motor speeds with the load demands of the facilities. VFDs will be designed for 40 facilities and is calculated to save over $100,000 per year. - Replace oil fired boilers with natural gas - This project will remove oil as a heating source for our facilities by replacing oil boilers with high efficiency natural gas boilers. The equipment to be installed will be 30% more energy efficient than the existing equipment. This October, Shaw Air Force Base will highlight additional energy success stories from around the base in fact sheets and articles distributed via the Shaw AFB website, Facebook, and the base's official news outlets. These will involve innovative energy efficiency strategies and provide energy-saving tips to reduce energy and water use and save money. New to Energy Action Month this year, on base the Shaw Energy Management Program will be offering FREE one-hour workshops on various energy and water efficiency topics. These will be offered throughout the month of October at the Spratt Education Center. Tuesday through Thursday sessions at 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. are available with breakfast and lunch provided at no-cost. Space is limited to 25 so sign up before its too late and come learn how to "$ave Big Bucks with Small ¢hange!" The month's activities culminate in the grand finale, "Energy Action Day" on Oct. 24, at the Base Exchange with multiple vendor displays and free giveaways! For a full schedule of workshops and to sign up for the sessions please visit our Facebook Page and "Like" us at: http://www.facebook.com/shawenergy You may also call 803-895-5194 or email Kyle Davies for more information at: Kyle.Davies.ctr@shaw.af.mil Some water conservation tips for this week are: Water Heating 1. Set water heater temperature no higher than 120° F. 2. For households with 1 or 2 members, a 115°F setting may work fine. 3. Install water-heater wrap per manufacturer's instructions. 4. Drain 1-2 gallons from bottom of water heater each year to reduce sediment build-up. 5. Install heat traps on hot and cold water lines when it's time to replace your water heater. 6. Insulate exposed hot water lines. 7. Limit shower length to 5-7 minutes. 8. Install low-flow shower heads. 9. Fix dripping faucets. 10. Don't let water run while you are shaving. 11. Don't let water run while brushing your teeth. Laundry 12.Wash clothes in cold water. Use hot water only for very dirty loads. 13. Do only full laundry loads. 14. If you must do smaller loads, adjust the water level in the washing machine to match the load size, especially when using hot water. 15. Always use cold-water rinse. 16. Use bath towels at least twice before washing them. 17. Clean your dryer's lint trap before each load. 18. Make sure that the outdoor dryer exhaust door closes when dryer is off. 19. Verify dryer vent hose is tightly connected to inside wall fitting. 20. Check that the dryer vent hose is tightly connected to dryer. 21. Make sure dryer vent hose is not kinked or clogged. 22. Minimize clothes drying time; use moisture sensor on dryer if available. 23. Dry consecutive loads to harvest heat remaining in dryer from last load. 24. Consider using a "solar-powered" clothes dryer, an old-fashioned clothes line.