• Military Menu                       

• Introduction
• Systems
• Facilities
• Agencies
• Industry
• Operations
• Countries
• Hot Documents
• News
• Reports
• Policy
• Budget
• Congress
• Links

• WMD
• Intelligence
• Homeland Security
• Space

Seal Beach to Go Green Using ARRA Funds

Navy NewsStand

Story Number: NNS091123-09
Release Date: 11/23/2009 2:37:00 PM

By Ens. Aaron Tanner, Naval Weapons Station Seal Beach Public Affairs

SEAL BEACH, Calif. (NNS) -- American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) projects on board Naval Weapons Station (NAVWPNSTA) Seal Beach are moving forward, with an especially green focus on future sustainability.

In July and September Stronghold Engineering was awarded contracts totaling $4.4 million to repair the roofs of two large administrative buildings and construct a crane canopy. In the process, each structure will be fitted with photovoltaic (PV) arrays.

"PV arrays reduce overall energy consumption for the station, dependency on foreign oil, and our carbon footprint," said Rick Tiernay, NAVWPNSTA Seal Beach energy manager. He added that there will be more than 2,000 17.5 square-foot solar panels installed on the three structures.

"The electricity generated from the three ARRA projects is estimated to be 642.5 megawatt-hours, or about 5.5 percent of the total electrical consumption for Naval Weapons Station Seal Beach," said Tiernay.

This is expected to save the base and the Navy more than $86,000 per year in energy costs. Contract completion is expected in February 2010 for the two buildings, and August 2010 for the crane canopy.

Along with the addition of alternative energy sources, the base will be installing smart meters to monitor energy use.

"Installing 143 smart meters at Seal Beach and our detachments in Corona and Fallbrook [will] help us meet the Energy Policy Act 2005 goals for utility savings," said base Public Works Officer Cmdr. Kevin Norton. "Utilities consumption data will be visible over our intranet, and there will be a central point on-base where the utilities can be controlled, and potentially shut off if consumption is excessive."

The Advanced Metering Infrastructure contract was awarded in August to American Systems, and will adhere to the Department of the Navy's vision of minimizing energy consumption and using automated systems to accomplish this.

In October, Secretary of the Navy, Ray Maybus announced new targets for vastly improved naval energy security, including a goal to provide at least half of the Navy's shore-based energy requirements from alternative sources by 2020.

"The Navy has been focused for many years on energy conservation, and we've been able to decrease our electrical consumption by 12 percent at Seal Beach over the past several years," said Norton. "These stimulus contracts are providing us a big opportunity towards fulfilling the Navy's new energy strategy."

For more news from Naval Weapons Station Seal Beach, visit www.navy.mil/local/sealbeach/.