AFCEC program manager named Energy Manager of the Year

  • Published
  • By Sarah McNair
  • AFIMSC Public Affairs

TYNDALL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. – Air Force Civil Engineer Center’s Mike Ringenberg is the Association of Energy Engineers Energy Manager of the Year for Region II.

He is AFCEC’s Energy Savings Performance Contract and Utility Energy Service Contract program manager in the energy directorate. 

Ringenberg is receiving the award to recognize his dedication and performance in the energy industry, said Ben Hough CEM, the LEED AP Practice Lead for Lindahl Reed, Inc., and person who nominated him for the award. 

In the last five years, Ringenberg’s “exceptional leadership has expanded the Air Force’s program from five to more than 50 projects worth approximately $1.4 billion,” said Les Martin, acting director for AFCEC’s Energy Directorate. 

“Mike’s efforts are directly responsible for significant increases to energy resiliency across the Air Force,” Martin said. “Noteworthy accomplishments include $188 million invested in distributed energy generation, almost $94 million in renewable energy distribution, $81 million in energy and utility distribution, and $69 million in boiler and chiller plant improvements, made possible because of his third-party finance program.” 

Ringenberg manages a team of project managers, certified energy managers and engineers who are responsible for the development and execution of a project from concept development and proposals through construction and implementation. His team also retains responsibility for the review and validation of annual measurement and verification reporting to ensure savings are fulfilled for the agreed term of the project. 

The ESPC/UESC program secured significant energy savings of more than 2,300,000 million British thermal units per year for the next 20 years. This savings will reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 194,000 metric tons, which is equal to eliminating 41,000 cars from the roads or planting over 250,000 acres of trees.  

“The outstanding leadership by Mike and the success of his program have clearly established the Air Force as leaders in federal energy management,” said Hough. “His actions reflect positively on AFCEC, the Air Force, the Department of Defense and the United States.” 

The Association of Energy Engineers is a nonprofit professional society with over 18,000 members across the world. Its mission is to promote scientific and educational interests across the energy industry and encourage sustainable energy developments. The AEE Regional Awards, typically presented annually at the AEE World Energy Conference and Expo, will be awarded virtually Nov. 18. Free registration for the ceremony is available at https://www.aeecenter.org/honoring-energy-efficiency-professionals-2020-aee-regional-awards-virtual-ceremony.

(Editor’s Note: The Region II covers the states of Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia, as well as the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.)