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NAS Fort Worth Joint Reserve Base Celebrates Millions in Energy Savings

Navy News Service

Story Number: NNS110808-19
8/8/2011

From Naval Facilities Engineering Command Southeast Public Affairs

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (NNS) -- Naval Air Station (NAS) Fort Worth Joint Reserve Base (JRB) held a ribbon cutting ceremony August 5 to celebrate a project that will provide $14.4 million in energy savings over 15 years through a $7.1 million Energy Savings Performance Contract (ESPC) that was awarded December 2009 to NORESCO, LLC for energy improvements to facilities on the base.

The project guarantees a first year annual energy savings of over 28,000 mmBTU, which represents a 34 percent energy reduction for the affected buildings and a 9 percent base-wide energy reduction.

"This type of alternatively financed energy project has proven to be a great deal for NAS Fort Worth JRB," said Public Works Officer Lt. Cmdr. Keith Miertschin. "Not only do we receive the guaranteed energy savings, but the installation also has benefited from replacing numerous inefficient HVAC units and lighting systems that have operated well beyond their economic life."

Projects under this ESPC include HVAC upgrades and controls, energy efficient lighting upgrades, power factor correction, and renewable energy.

"An ESPC is a very powerful alternative financing tool that we [Navy] have in our funding arsenal," said Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) Southeast ESPC Facilitator Kevin Smith. "When planned and executed properly, we are able to shift the burden of performance and risk to the Energy Service Company (ESCO). They are contracted for operations and maintenance, and to guarantee and verify the energy savings they have implemented."

Twenty-two buildings were identified to receive HVAC energy saving control strategies which include night setbacks, supply air temperature resets, hot water supply temperature reset, chilled water supply temperature reset, and occupancy based temperature control in barracks. Five existing air cooled chillers were replaced while others were recommissioned and new controls added for equipment in good condition.

Twenty-seven buildings were identified for economically attractive lighting upgrades and retrofits. These modifications will improve light quality and reduce maintenance costs. This included replacing taxiway lighting with light emitting diode (LED) technology. A 10-kW DC photovoltaic (PV) array was installed at the base library parking area. The PV array will provide electricity from a renewable resource and offset current electric consumption and peak demand. The array has a direct connection to the grid such that no batteries are required for energy storage.

The main substation was fitted with an automatically controlled capacitor bank which will compensate for the existing inductive loads that have caused the power factor to fall below the minimum allowable as set by the electrical utility company. Raising the power factor above the minimum allowable will result in penalty cost avoidance in the monthly electric bill.

Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus laid out five aggressive energy goals in October 2009 to improve our energy security and efficiency, increase our energy independence, and help lead the nation toward a clean energy economy. This initiative assists in achieving the energy goal of increasing alternative energy afloat and ashore where by 2020, the Department of the Navy (DON) will produce at least 50 percent of shore-based energy requirements from alternative sources and 50 percent of DON installations will be net-zero.

DoD has also mandated electric and natural gas consumption be reduced at least 30 percent by 2015. In addition, Executive Order 13514, signed in 2009, intensifies the energy savings requirements even more.

"ESPCs help to meet the federal government's goals on energy efficiency and water conservation," said Smith. "The federal government is the largest single user of energy in the United States and these awards demonstrate a commitment to sound government stewardship by recognizing efforts to save energy and reduce federal energy costs."