Holloman celebrates Earth Day with energy saving project

  • Published
  • By 49th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
HOLLOMAN AIR FORCE BASE, N.M. --   Holloman Air Force Base, along with 63 additional major Air Force Bases across the country, have agreed to take part in Operation Change Out - a campaign designed to replace incandescent bulbs with new energy-efficient compact fluorescent bulbs.

The campaign is a joint effort between the U. S. Department of Defense and the U.S. Department of Energy.

"Holloman has replace 1,425 incandescent light bulbs with Energy Star qualified CFLs, which has saved the base approximately $35,000 a year in operating costs," said Mr. Mike Porto, chief, asset management flight, 49th Civil Engineer Squadron.

In the past year, beginning with Earth Day 2008, the Air Force has changed out 228,000 bulbs. This will save millions of pounds of greenhouse gases and enough energy to power 3,841 homes for a year, according to information from the Air Force Facility Energy Center. In addition, the Air Force will save $7.5 million over the lifetime of the bulbs.

Replacing incandescent bulbs with Energy Star qualified CFLs have many benefits including: CFLs use about 75 percent less energy than standard incandescent bulbs and last up to 10 times longer; save about $30 or more in electricity costs over each bulb's lifetime; produce about 75 percent less heat, so they're safer to operate and can cut energy costs associated with home cooling; and are available in different sizes and shapes to fit in almost any fixture, for indoors and outdoors.

Energy Star is a joint program of the U.S. Department of Energy and the Environmental Protection Agency, helping us all save money and protect the environment through energy-efficient products and practices. The U.S. Department of Energy's overarching mission is to advance the national, economic, and energy security of the United States; to promote scientific and technological innovation in support of that mission; and to ensure the environmental cleanup of the national nuclear weapons complex.