Holloman energy and water conservation projects hit the ground

  • Published
  • By Gary Krivokapich, Resource Efficiency Manager
  • 49th Civil Engineer Squadron
HOLLOMAN AIR FORCE BASE, N.M. --  Holloman is making major progress in reducing energy consumption on base that currently costs $18,000 a day.

The Air Force is currently funding over $5 million in energy conservation projects at Holloman. The projects include upgrading the lighting in hangars and high-bay facilities, converting office lighting to more efficient lighting, installing occupancy sensors for lighting and installing meters on all buildings that are more than 35,000 square feet.

The ongoing project will save the base more than $1 million in energy costs per year. This does not include the $4 million worth of projects in the planning stages. Early October or November, energy audits will begin on 75 percent of buildings at Holloman.

Holloman is also working hard on converting to renewable energy. We are studying the possible installation of a large 20Mw photovoltaic plant to be built near the Atlas Substation. Plus, we are designing a solar photovoltaic parking cover for the Dental Clinic parking area. In the water conservation area, a $750,000 water reclamation project to reuse water for the Golf course is currently under construction.

So how can you help save energy at Holloman? Keep your office temperature set to 76 degrees Farenheit in the summer and 69 degrees in the winter. Keep doors closed when the air conditioning is on. Turn off all lighting when leaving the office. Turn off office equipment at night, except for computers.

Electric space heaters not only use three times the energy, but also bring safety concerns to your work area. For these reasons, portable electric space heaters are not permitted by the Air Force, unless required by health standards and building codes. Report unsatisfactory climate control issues to your facility manager so they can be reported and addressed by the 49th Civil Engineer Squadron Customer Service.

Let us know if you have any energy conservation or renewable project suggestions for our base by calling 575-872-6643 and asking for Gary Krivokapich, Resource Efficiency Manager, TetraTech.