Energy: Planning the next 5 years

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Brigitte N. Brantley
  • 23rd Wing Public Affairs
MOODY AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. --  A group of 22 energy engineers is currently scouring 1.8 million square feet of Moody facilities during a two-week visit aimed at identifying possible energy reduction projects.

The group's suggestions will be used to help develop Moody's next five-year energy plan and may significantly decrease the base's more than $11,000-a-day energy bill.

"Having the engineers here gives us a new set of eyes on energy issues we've been looking at for a while now," said Robert Montgomery, 23rd Civil Engineer Squadron base energy manager. "A lot of the buildings have been recommissioned for new missions and may not be working as designed anymore. Their suggestions will help us concentrate on areas where we can get the most from our resources."

He said the contractors will look at many things including lighting levels, water heaters, coffee pots, and the number of refrigerators and flat-screen TVs in a facility.

Moody has around 2.7 million square feet of building space, and the contract funded by Headquarters Air Combat Command will cover facilities sized 10,000 square feet or less.

Moody's goal is to reduce energy consumption by 3 percent a year, and having more energy-efficient buildings may help reach this goal.

The 2010 Air Force energy plan is available at the Air Force Installations, Environment and Logistics website,http://www.safie.hq.af.mil/shared/media/document/AFD-091208-027.pdf.

The report states, "The Air Force is the largest consumer of energy in the U.S. federal government, as our mission and global operations require a tremendous amount of energy."

The suggestions from the team can be used to fulfill the plan's "reduce demand" pillar by making specific suggestions on ways to make Moody facilities more energy-efficient.