DLA reviews responses to ESPC opportunity at Kirtland Published Nov. 2, 2015 By Jess Echerri AFCEC Public Affairs TYNDALL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. -- The Defense Logistics Agency released a notice of opportunity recently for an energy savings performance contract, or ESPC, for improvements in energy efficiency, water conservation and renewable energy at Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico, and is currently reviewing responses from multiple energy service companies, or ESCOs. The proposed scope of the project covers 134 buildings, totaling more than 4.1 million square feet. "An important item in any energy savings project is operations and maintenance," said Robin Kitson, ESPC project manager at the Air Force Civil Engineer Center at Tyndall. "ESCOs provide expertise, which keeps equipment well-maintained and ensures savings achievement. The ESPC project at Kirtland will save energy and dollars without redirecting Air Force labor to maintain equipment, which is a win-win for the USA." One system this ESPC also seeks to update is Kirtland's centralized energy management control system, or EMCS. The existing EMCS is more than 12 years old and is nearing the end of its useful life. "When functioning, an EMCS is one of the best ways to manage heating and cooling in buildings," said Susan Gregory, Kirtland base energy manager. "By reducing the heating or cooling when the building is unoccupied, it saves a considerable amount of energy." An ESPC is a contract where the ESCO arranges financing, designs, implements, operates and maintains infrastructure improvements that increase the efficiency of energy consuming systems. The Air Force pays the ESCO back over the term of the contract, typically between 10 to 25 years, with cost savings accrued through more energy-efficient equipment and decreased utility consumption. In this way, ESPCs are a valuable and realistic tool the Air Force uses to meet energy-saving goals.