JOINT BASE LANGLEY-EUSTIS, Va. –
Designated by the Department of Energy, October is Energy Action Month, a time for federal government organizations and employees to recognize the importance of energy in their daily lives.
Energy Action Month is one piece of the U.S. Air Force’s three-year “Protect the Power” campaign, and at Joint Base Langley-Eustis, the 633rd Civil Engineer Squadron is taking action to save energy on base.
In compliance with federal energy guidelines, the Air Force set a goal to decrease overall facility energy by 2.5 percent annually over the coming decade and to increase the use of renewable energy to at least 10 percent, said Dan Porter, 633rd CES base energy manager. However, for a growing base, in mission and personnel, such as Langley, JBLE’s energy goal is to reduce total energy consumption while simultaneously building new facilities to accommodate organizational growth.
To achieve that goal, the 633rd CES is installing advanced meter reading devices on buildings, which will provide a real-time picture of electricity usage on base. Additionally, across base, they are upgrading to high-energy transformers and light-emitting diode (LED) lighting, as well as employing renewable energy sources, to improve overall energy savings.
Looking to the future, the 633rd CES is working with the U.S. Air Force Civil Engineer Center to create an Energy Saving Performance Contract that will research how JBLE and NASA Langley Research Center can save energy and improve infrastructure resiliency.
In addition to the 633rd CES’ efforts, below are actions that individuals can take to conserve energy and support the Air Force’s “Protect the Power” initiative:
- Keep windows and doors closed
- Unplug items not in use
- Turn off lights and monitors when not in use and at the end of the day
- Turn off water when brushing your teeth
- Carpool
- Reduce idling in vehicles. Thirty minutes of idling burns through one gallon of gas.
- Consolidate personal appliances like coffee makers or microwaves in break rooms.
- Call the Civil Engineer Squadron if your building is too cold in the summer or too hot in the winter. They can save energy by adjusting the temperature set point, saving energy.
For more information on Energy Action Month, visit https://energy.gov/eere/femp/energy-action-month.