423rd CES finds low-tech solutions equal high-tech energy savings

  • Published
  • By Kelly Jaramillo and Master Sgt. Wesley Ross
  • USAFE Energy Manager and USAFE HVAC Manager
RAMSTEIN AB, Germany --  RAF Alconbury civil engineers are getting back to the basics and it's paying off. They've proven that simple, low-cost solutions save money and energy and the same principles can easily be repeated at other bases.

Point No. 1: High-tech control systems

Only save energy when there is dedicated and trained staff to maintain them. Air Force energy initiatives often include installing complex control systems in various buildings. Ideally, positions for "controls" technicians are retained in civil engineering to maintain these systems over their lifecycle. However, slots for these technicians may or may not survive downsizing. When high-tech building management systems fail and there is no staff on hand trained to maintain them, the control systems are often turned to manual. This overrides the automatic control settings, and the opportunity to save energy with high-tech controls is lost.

Point No. 2: Low-tech solutions can actually save more energy at a lower cost

RAF Alconbury has 91 modulating boilers that provide interior heat and hot water across the base, many of which were operating 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Heating, ventilation and air conditioning foreman Stuart Chalmers decided to take initiative and save energy with a low-cost, low-tech solution that does not require certification and accreditation.

Chalmers installed simple mechanical time clocks and frost protection sensors on the boilers for a fraction of the cost of more sophisticated controls. These devices ensure boilers operate only when the buildings are occupied or when outside temperatures drop below freezing and pipes might freeze. Installing time clocks and frost sensors cost roughly $396 per location and take four hours for one skilled person to install. This initiative will reduce natural gas consumption an estimated 25 percent per year. The controls are easy to replace or repair if they fail, and clearly demonstrate a low-tech, low-cost solution can outlive the energy savings from high-tech, complex systems that cannot be adequately maintained.

Point No. 3: Enforce no heat/no cool seasons

Base leadership plays an important role in changing the culture and can save energy by simply enforcing energy conservation standards. RAF Alconbury maintains strict temperature set points for the heating and cooling season, which are enforced by base leadership.

Point No. 4: Preventive maintenance really works

Lieutenant Col. Eric Fajardo, 423rd Civil Engineer Squadron commander, heavily emphasizes the recurring work program as a top priority in operations. He encourages the shops to only take on work orders as time permits. The shops have found there are fewer complaints of failing equipment because most issues are being identified and resolved through proper, routine, preventive maintenance. Besides reducing complaints, this program directly contributes to energy savings because the equipment is running at peak performance over its lifecycle. In addition, the HVAC shop conducts regular combustion efficiency tests and documents the results in the boiler log books. Despite the fact 40 percent of RAF Alconbury's boilers are 25 years or older, 100 percent of the boilers are operating above 80 percent efficiency. The HVAC shop noted a one percent decrease in boiler efficiency correlates to a five percent increase in fuel consumption. Based on this, the shop immediately tends to any boilers with one percent or higher change in boiler efficiency. Combustion tests only take a few minutes to perform and can reap huge benefits in energy and dollar savings over the life of the boilers.

Point No. 5: Shifting from contract to inhouse...we can do it

Many bases contract their HVAC corrosion control (i.e., chemical treatment) program. The quality assurance personnel assigned to this contract may or may not have hands-on experience maintaining HVAC equipment. Over time, a poorly implemented corrosion control program can cause a safety concern, impact HVAC equipment life and performance, and ultimately result in wasted energy and avoidable equipment replacement costs. The 423rd CES HVAC shop took initiative to manage its boiler chemical treatment program in-house. The foreman procured chemical training and two test kits the size of a briefcase for $1,596. Two trained craftsmen trained the remainder of the shop. The shop regularly checks conductivity, pH, and soluble iron and molybdate levels in the boiler water. The results of the water testing and dosing is carefully logged. Proper chemical treatment is vital in the long-term operation and maintenance of the HVAC equipment. Training and test kits for the in-house workforce were not overly expensive and the energy and maintenance benefits will last forever.

Preventive maintenance at every base is essential to ensuring the highest efficiency and longest life for the equipment we already own. With respect to improving our "home", we encourage our shops to innovate low-tech, low-cost sustainable solutions, since they are closest to understanding the maintenance implications of each technology. We can save energy now and well into the future, if we do it smart, and we do it together.