RANDOLPH AIR FORCE BASE, Texas –
A increase in payments to power-supplier City Public Service Energy coupled with a loss in government funding to pay utility bills has been cause for a massive energy use reevaluation by civil engineers at Randolph Air Force Base.
An energy policy initiative set forward at Randolph now requires conservation briefings at all newcomers' orientations, commander's calls and other appropriate venues so Airmen and all base employees are afforded opportunities to become stewards of base resources.
The initiative is focused on four key objectives: energy, environment, safety and occupational health.
Anthony Martinez, a civil engineer with the Randolph energy office, is one of a handful of people tasked here with providing an impactive blueprint for saving the base money. He said Randolph has incurred an estimated $1 million shortfall this year due mainly to higher recent power bills.
High temperatures have generated increased air conditioning usage across the region, forcing CPS to tap into alternate fuel sources to power its plants. While most of those plants are fired by coal and nuclear power, natural gas is now being used to create much of the power needed to keep the region operational.
"We're using renewable fuels like wind energy and landfill gas but the most expensive fuel we use is always natural gas," Theresa Cortez, CPS spokesperson, said.
The initiative adopted Air Force wide and specifically at Randolph states a need to conserve energy output. This was necessitated by the elimination of a portion of the federal monies allocated for utility payments.
"The federal money that had been provided to us was cut and we were told the bills would be paid for 11 months but we were responsible for the twelfth month," Mr. Martinez said. "Last year was the first year we were faced with this loss of funding. As a base, we were given a directive to cut energy consumption by three percent each year."
Commercial customers like Randolph can show proof of cost-cutting measures and perhaps earn rebates from CPS. But with more than 10,000 people working and living on Randolph, rebates are not attainable without diligent workforce and family housing participation.
"We have been doing well, staying within one percent of what was consumed last year at this same time, but higher energy bills with CPS really changed things in recent months," Mr. Martinez said.
Spurgeon Busby, an energy solution manager and CPS liaison to Randolph, said the rebate program began five or six years ago and it targets larger accounts like military installations.
"We started with really low amounts and working primarily with residential customers, then moved to commercial accounts," Mr. Busby said. "It's worked so well that we now have around $96 million put aside for the rebate program. From the outside looking in, Randolph seems to have a handle on what it needs to do. I am impressed with how they are doing."
Another successful move by CPS was setting up its Retail Energy Area, a program that allows key account representatives to work directly with clients such as Randolph and other bases to insure the most is being done to conserve energy.
Ms. Cortez said a rate increase has indeed been approved through the San Antonio city council, but those higher costs won't take effect until September. The crunch being felt by customers now is caused by nothing more than increased consumption of energy. Higher temperatures in and around San Antonio have caused consumer and commercial energy bills to soar, upping by about one-third the amount used at Randolph alone.
"The number one commodity affecting Randolph energy bill is air conditioning usage," Mr. Martinez said. "HVAC usage amounts to about 70 percent of energy used here on base."
There are around 150 buildings on base, and almost 100 are large structures. A chilled water system helps cool several of these buildings, including many affiliated with Air Education and Training Command. The system has been the primary target of the energy office as it has sought to stay within or close to budget.
The system utilizes a Thermal Energy Storage Tank that holds 1,000 gallons of water and is kept running to store as much chilled water as possible. Other smaller tanks are also located around Randolph and aid in air conditioning many other buildings, but these smaller units are not able to store chilled water like the T.E.S.T. can.
Inside buildings throughout the base, the energy office tracks usage with devices called "mod-hoppers" that are tied into an assortment of meters, receivers and networking devices. Mr. Martinez said a building can be fitted with such equipment for around $700 but too many do not currently contain this technology.
"Using the mod-hoppers, we can see peak times when the most energy is being consumed," Mr. Martinez said. "This helps us to determine, with regard to air conditioning, when we can maximize savings by manually cutting the flow of chilled water. Doing this for as little as 15 minutes, at alternate times, will cause little discomfort among the workforce but can generate a lot of savings."
People working at Randolph are also being urged to "take ownership" for their respective buildings and "buy into" the overall conservation initiative. Suggested thermostat settings during warmer months are 77-78 degrees and 68-69 degrees during the few cool months of winter when heating is required.
Mr. Martinez pointed to things like lights left on in empty rooms or computers which are not put on "sleep" mode at night as being determinants that can drive up energy costs.
He added that all appliances bought for base buildings must now contain an Energy Star rating.
"We did pretty good last year in helping to offset that 12th month we weren't funded for," Mr. Martinez said. "Even with the amount of rain we had last year, compared to how hot it has been now, we've kept it close. If people choose to participate we can cut into this shortfall. It's a lot of money we're talking about."