AFSPC makes energy a priority in 2014

  • Published
  • By Kevin Elliott
  • AFCEC Public Affairs
The Air Force Space Command energy program has had a very busy 2014.

AFSPC partnered with leaders at the squadron and base levels and with the Air Force Civil Engineer Center to accomplish great progress toward reducing the energy intensity of its installations and fleet, exceeding federal mandates.

For starters, the command won a Federal Energy and Water Management Award for its achievements in energy, water, and fleet management during fiscal 2013.

AFSPC's energy-winning strategy encompassed everything from plans to connect one of their bases in Alaska to the local electrical grid, saving $1.5 million annually, to purchasing and installing 6,600 LED exterior fixtures to replace street and parking lot lights, saving $1 million annually, to implementing biodiesel throughout their fleet and even launching the federal government's first general-purpose fleet of plug-in electric vehicles.

"The combined efforts of many at Space Command and the Wings contributed to the overall success of the energy program," said Fox Theriault, AFSPC energy analyst. "An example is the installation of LED roadway and street lights at 15 different bases. That took a large-scale effort by many and, as we wind up the project, the lessons learned are being passed on to other bases and commands."

AFSPC also invested in renewable energy in 2014. The 6th Space Warning Squadron at Joint Base Cape Cod, Massachusetts, operates the Phased Array Warning System, called PAVE PAWS. The radar operates around the clock, monitoring the entire east coast and 3,000 miles out over the Atlantic Ocean. This range requires significant amounts of energy.

In a joint effort with 6th SWS and AFCEC, two wind turbines were installed to capture some of the Cape's substantial wind resources, converting them into enough electricity to provide 50 percent of the radar's energy needs.

Leaders at 6th SWS also partnered with their local utility provider to audit their facilities and, by upgrading chillers and retrofitting buildings with high-efficiency lighting and equipment, are saving an additional $150,000 annually.

Space Command Energy has several additional projects planned for the future. A request for proposals was recently released for a 20-megawatt solar photovoltaic array at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, which is part of AFSPC.

The array, which will cover 170 acres on a demolished family housing area, is projected to provide 25 percent of the base's energy needs, and add to Vandenberg's energy security and resiliency, two core tenets of the Air Force energy strategy. 

The Air Force will reap an energy cost avoidance of $1.3 million annually from the array and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 15,819 tons per year.

All federal agencies, including the Air Force, have been mandated to reduce their energy usage. Through innovative partnerships and dedicated leadership, members of the Space Command are making energy a consideration in all they do.

"Energy is everyone's responsibility," said Tim Pugh, AFSPC energy and utility manager. "Our command's energy strategy not only includes facility and fuels energy but also mission and operational energy. The overall goal is to help the Air Force by reducing our energy intensity any way we can."