Arnold hosts site visit for one-of-a-kind ESPC

  • Published
  • By Kevin Elliott
  • AFCEC Public Affairs
TYNDALL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. --  Representatives from the Air Force Civil Engineer Center and several energy service companies, or ESCOs, recently conducted an energy savings performance contract site visit at one of the most unique Air Force bases in the world.

The Arnold Engineering Development Complex at Arnold Air Force Base, Tennessee, is the largest and most advanced complex of flight simulation test facilities on Earth, according to Arnold's website. AEDC operates 28 aerodynamic and propulsion wind tunnels, rocket and turbine engine test cells, space environmental chambers, arc heaters, ballistic ranges and other specialized units.

As such, Arnold is a small base with an enormous energy appetite.

"Both the number of personnel and the facility square footage at Arnold are pretty low compared to most Air Force installations," said Nick Hibdon, energy manager at the base. "But because of our test requirements, our energy load is comparable to some of the largest Air Force bases in the world."

The base's energy load is so intense that Arnold has a direct phone line to the Tennessee Valley Authority to inform the utility when AEDC will be conducting tests.

"AEDC notifies TVA so the utility can have enough energy available for testing," said Morgan Hurst, ESPC manager at AFCEC. "If AEDC powered up its test equipment without notification, the amount of electricity drawn from the grid could cause brownouts or blackouts in other parts of the state."

AEDC's singular nature and disproportionate energy requirements make it both a prime candidate and a complicated site for an ESPC.

"A lot of our equipment is one of a kind, and functions as a critical piece of our mission," Hibdon said. "The ESCOs won't have a lot of down time to make repairs or replacements. And because of the unpredictability of our testing schedule, it will be difficult to gauge energy savings in the out years."

Despite these limitations, Hibdon is confident the ESPC will deliver results.

"I think this project is going to be good for Arnold," he said. "It will be a challenge identifying exactly which ECMs will bring the most value, but at the end I think we will have some real savings. Also, part of the value for us is that, under the ESPC model, the risk for the project is on the ESCO, and that if the risk is too high, they won't proceed. It's a fail-safe for the Air Force to make sure money isn't spent unless it will bring the expected energy savings."

Under the ESPC model, energy service companies compete to finance, design, construct and manage energy projects, and maintain the systems long-term. ESPCs range from 10 years to a maximum of 25 years, with the Air Force paying the ESCO back over the term of the contract from cost savings garnered by the higher-efficiency equipment.

The ESCOs that were present for the Arnold site visit will now prepare a preliminary assessment of the project to submit to AFCEC for review. The ESCO with the most beneficial plan, as determined by the base and AFCEC, will then be chosen to move forward with the effort.