161st ARW saves, receives rebate check

by 1st Lt. Rebecca Garcia
161st Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs

2/7/2015 - PHOENIX SKY HARBOR AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE -- Arizona Public Service presented a $93,994.14 rebate incentive check Feb. 5 to the 161st Air Refueling Wing thanks to three energy savings initiatives that were funded by the Air National Guard Bureau.

Winning the contract for all three projects was HK Consulting, an 8A small business firm; helping the 161st ARM meet federal mandates for energy conservation and help reduce operational budgetary operating costs.

The first project replaced outdated high pressure sodium and metal halide lighting technology with energy-efficient induction lighting; all exterior lights were replaced, as well as 750 interior lighting fixtures.

Replacing the old lighting reduces the amount of maintenance needed due to the 100,000 hour lifespan of the new induction bulbs and provides better light output, at half the wattage, than the previous bulbs.

"The lighting quality is tremendously better, which means better working conditions for our airmen," said Mel Klaus, 161st ARW resource efficiency manager.

The lighting control system also has vacancy sensors that detect the presence of a person; turning the lights on when occupied and off when unoccupied.

The second project upgraded the energy management control systems for heating, ventilation and air conditioning.

The third project installed window tint to the interior side of windows in 10 buildings totaling 4,500 square-feet. Installation of window tint helps reduce heat gain by preventing ultraviolet rays from entering the building and assists in reducing the amount of air conditioning required to maintain personal comfort.

The savings in energy and cost to tax payers also helped reduce the 161st ARW's carbon footprint and the cash incentive will allow for future projects here, said Col. Gary Brewer, 161st ARW commander.

"Energy is a vital resource and creating a culture to conserve it is critical to our nation's security and it took a lot of hard work by a lot of people to make this happen," said Brewer. "We share this Earth and we also live in this community."

The lighting and sensors have an annual savings of 712,063.17 kilowatt hours, resulting in a rebate of $78,271.41. The EMCS upgrade has an annual savings of 159,120 kWh, resulting in a rebate of $13,000.00. The window tint will bring in a total annual savings of 30,252 kWh, resulting in a rebate of $2,722.73.

The energy efficient technologies used at the 161st ARW represent a combination of proven products that reduce energy. The energy savings resulted in a return on investment in the form of a rebate check and reduction of base utility costs, said Klaus.

"This project is part of the efforts toward meeting the 2005 executive order, directing a reduction in energy consumption by 30 percent for more than a 10-year period," said Klaus. "These efforts were the result of many personnel working very hard to make sure everything was in position; from programming documents, to funding, to contracting and execution."

"I would like to thank Steve Hollingshead [161st ARW base superintendent], Senior Master Sgt. Tim Garrity, [161st ARW contracting officer], 1st Lt. Jonathan Stratton [161st ARW deputy base civil engineer], and John Frost, [project manager from the Civil Engineering Technical Services Center, Minot, North Dakota], who helped secure the funds," said Klaus. "I'd also like to thank the [161st ARW] leadership for making these projects a priority, because without their support these projects may not have been executed."