Keesler is AETC leader in energy, water usage savings

Published Feb. 25, 2014
By Susan Griggs
81st Training Wing Public Affairs

KEESLER AIR FORCE BASE, Miss. -- Keesler is a leader in the Air Force's continuing efforts to lessen energy and water usage, according to William Stevenson, base energy manager.

"Every Keesler Airman, civilian employee and contractor can help to ensure that important resources are protected through energy-conscious actions in carrying out daily duties," he remarked.

For fiscal 2013, Keesler led Air Education and Training Command in energy savings from a 2003 baseline and water conservation from a 2007 baseline.

The Air Force's energy reduction goal is 30 percent from the 2003 baseline by the end of FY15.

"For FY14, our installation's reduction goal is 27 percent," Stevenson said.

Keesler surpassed all bases in the command in total British thermal units reduced from the 2003 baseline, with an almost 160,000 BTU drop in consumption, nearly double the decrease of the next closest installation. Stevenson credits infrastructure system upgrades for air conditioning and lighting as the major reasons for the steady reductions.

For the same period, Keesler had the fourth largest reduction in AETC for energy intensity, the combined kilowatts of electricity and cubic feet of gas used per square foot of building space. Keesler's energy intensity for FY13 represented a nearly 20 percent reduction from the 2003 baseline.

Those reductions may sound contradictory, but Stevenson explained how Keesler can have the largest BTU reduction without achieving the largest intensity reduction.

"Keesler has a large energy footprint within our buildings," he pointed out. "Most of our buildings have heating and cooling systems in addition to large numbers of electrical training equipment. This keeps our energy intensity levels high when compared to bases that have numerous storage facilities such as aircraft hangars that aren't conditioned or manned."

South Mississippi's tropical climate requires year-round heating and cooling to maintain proper temperature and humidity in Keesler's facilities.

"To further reduce the energy intensity, we must both improve the efficiency of facility systems and operate them to maximize savings while preserving our training mission," Stevenson stated. "This is the primary focus of the new base energy management policy signed last September."

Keesler's primary measured energy sources are electrical power and natural gas. Currently, alternative energies such as wind and solar aren't fiscally practical for this area.

"Energy costs in our area are relatively low compared with national averages," Stevenson said. "The infrastructure costs of those technologies are relatively high when compared to conventional sources."

When it comes to water usage, the Air Force has established a water intensity reduction goal of 2 percent a year from the FY07 baseline consumption.

"Keesler leads all AETC bases in both total use reduction and intensity reduction," Stevenson noted. "To place this success in perspective, in FY13, Keesler used more than 278 million less gallons of water than in FY07, which represents more than a 42 percent reduction in total water intensity, far exceeding the FY13 goal of 12 percent.

Stevenson said the water consumption was primarily accomplished to significant renovation of the base's water production system and a significant reduction in landscape irrigation system use.

He noted that the quantities of water and energy reductions don't include reimbursable activities such as military family housing and Army and Air Force Exchange Service facilities.

Keesler energy conservation