Luke takes energy conservation prize

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Tong Duong
  • 56th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
LUKE AIR FORCE BASE, Ariz. --  Luke Air Force Base recently took third place in the Air Education and Training Command's 2009 Energy Incentive Award program. 

The program was designed to recognize and reward bases that conserved the most energy from July 2008 to July 2009. Vance Air Force Base, Okla., took $1.5 million in award with a 13.4 percent reduction in energy usage. Altus Air Force Base, Okla., will receive $1 million for their 13.3 percent reduction and Luke earned a $500,000 award with a 12 percent reduction. 

According to Raymond Pollard, 56th Civil Engineer Squadron resource efficiency manager, taking third place is a great feat and hopes to take home more awards in the future. 

"There were 12 AETC bases competing this year, and this is our first time winning any award," he said. "We now have our resource efficiency managers auditing and making recommendations in hopes of more and bigger prizes." 

To meet and exceed energy conservation guidelines, the 56th CES resource efficiency management office has written a base energy plan. The plan outlines new equipment being purchased and installed at Luke must be Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Silver certified, as well as meet the 30 percent reduction in energy consumption by federal agencies by 2015 relative to a 2005 baseline. 

One model for energy savings is the solar system on the roof of the Army and Air Force Exchange Service building, which produces more than 75 percent of the buildings electrical energy. 

The 56th CES has several energy savings projects in the works. 

"We will be re-lamping the runways and taxi ways with LEDs which will save thousands of dollars in operating costs," Mr. Pollard said. "We are also tightening up all the buildings on base to keep cost down on cooling and heating." 

Air Force officials will present the AETC's 2009 Energy Incentive Awards to the winning three wing commanders at Randolph Air Force Base, Texas, at the end of October.