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JBSA News
NEWS | May 14, 2012

Base-wide competition encourages energy conservation

By Airman 1st Class Lincoln Korver Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph Public Affairs

With advancements in technology happening on what seems to be a daily basis, energy consumption and conservation should always be taken into consideration.

In October 2011, Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph asserted its leadership with a base-wide energy conservation competition.

"Creating a culture of cost consciousness is going to be a big challenge," Col. Scott Peel, 902nd Mission Support Group commander, said.

In less than six months, 836,448 kilowatt hours were saved at Randolph, resulting in an energy cost savings of $57,760, Ruben Ramos Jr., 902nd Civil Engineer Squadron energy and utilities manager, said.

The Air Force Personnel Center received first place in the energy reduction category of the competition for saving more than 300,000 kwh, he said. They were closely followed by the 902nd Mission Support Group and the 359th Medical Group which both saved more than 200,000 kwh.

In the category of energy intensity reduction rankings, the medical group stood out among the other competitors by reducing their energy consumption by nearly 20 percent, he said.

In the third category of the energy competition, Carlos Mata, 359th Medical Group, won the Individual Energy Initiative Award for his efforts in motivating his organization, informing others about the energy competition and for providing energy tips, Ramos said.

Current initiatives at Randolph include approving the 502nd Air Base Wing energy policy, applying high performance energy standards to building modifications and construction, identifying inordinate after-hours energy consumption and creating a culture of conservation, he said.

There are some bases in the Air Force that don't have many automatic lights, Peel said. The people living there are simply in the mindset of knowing they need to turn off a light or a computer monitor when they're not using it. That's what the people at Randolph need to do. It's not hard; they just need to acknowledge what needs to happen and go at it with the right attitude.

"Every Air Education and Training Command Airman should constantly consider the cost implications of our actions, our inactions and our decisions," Gen. Edward A. Rice Jr., AETC commander, said in February when talking about building a culture of cost consciousness. "It is about being good stewards of America's resources. It is more than just achieving greater efficiency; it really is about a mindset that makes cost considerations a part of everything we do."

Everyone wants a technical solution, Peel said, but sometimes the best solution is to have the person do the right thing by themselves.